Friends to Spouses
by Bronski
Summary: It's the first day of school & Ash is very anxious. Fortunately, a girl helped him through the day. How does the relationship between the two grow over time? AdvanceShipping.
1. First Day

**(A/N): **Pokemon are almost non-existent as I wanted to focus on character development. In this story, they are treated as normal animals and will probably be only mentioned or used as part of literary devices.

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Chapter 1: First Day

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**Ages**

Ash: 5

May: 4

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It was a peaceful and warm Monday morning in the small town of Littleroot. The sun was shining brightly and the chirping of Tailows were heard. It was also the first day for schools in the tropical nation of Hoenn, where Littleroot was located.

Inside one of the houses in Littleroot, a young boy of 5 with jet-black hair and auburn eyes was hiding inside his room, trembling, while his parents were convincing him to go to school. The young family of 3 has just relocated last week from Pallet Town in the faraway nation of Kanto.

"Ash! There's only 30 minutes left before the school starts."

"B-b-but mum I'm s-scared! I don't know anyone. What if they don't like me?" Ash couldn't resist letting out his tears.

His mother, Delia, opened the door and embraced him in a warm, comforting hug. His nervousness never dissipated completely, but it was slowly disappearing as Ash enjoyed his mother's hug. She put her mouth near his ear and whispered. "Don't worry. You're a sweet boy. I'm sure everyone will like you." Feeling defeated, Ash walked off his bed and walked towards his desk to grab his bag before walking downstairs with his mother to see his father Giovanni slowly drinking his coffee and reading the newspaper while waiting for him to be ready. Noticing Delia and Ash at the stairs, Giovanni folded the newspaper gently and finished his cup of coffee. Seeing the expression on Ash's face he lowered his body until his head was level with Ash's.

"Son, it's going to be alright. I understand how nervous you are. I was just like you back then, except worse. Heh, my mum even has to carry me to school while I was punching her shoulder, how embarrassing." Giovanni let out a small laugh as he reminisces his first day of school. "But it ends well after the first day because I made a new friend. She has beautiful yellow eyes and long reddish-brown hair. Does she seem familiar, son?" Ash glanced at his mother and noticed that she looked exactly like the friend his father described. He soon put two and two together and deduced that the new friend his father talked about was his mother. Noticing that Ash has deduced his clue, Giovanni grinned and spoke in a teasing tone. "Maybe your first friend there will be your future wife!" As he winked and teased his son his laughter couldn't be held back and this one was far louder than the previous one. Seeing that time was running out, Delia grabbed her husband's right hand and touched his watch. Giovanni's laughter died out and he gestured Ash to get outside, which he complied hesitantly. His nervousness grew slightly as evident from the blush on his cheeks after Giovanni teased Ash about his future wife. As Giovanni closed and locked the door, a metallic box could be seen on the dining table but no one noticed it.

While on the 10-minute walk to his school, Ash was mute, simply enjoying the beautiful and lush scenery as his parents were having a conversation speculating on how Ash's life in school would be like. Still nervous and smaller than his parents, he walked slower than his parents which went unnoticed until they realised that Ash was nowhere besides them. They turned their heads to their backs and found Ash absent-mindedly walking. They yelled at Ash to make him move faster and each of his hands was held by one of his parents to ensure that they walk with the same pace. When they arrived at the hallway inside the school, Giovanni took a paper out of his pocket, a letter from the principal showing where Ash's class was. As they were in front of Ash's class, his nervousness resurfaced. He was trembling and hid behind his parents, wrapping his small arms around his father's large and strong legs.

The class has around 10 students and 1 teacher. Some were running around chasing each other playfully while the quiet ones were simply sitting on their seats waiting for the day to start. The teacher smiled at the sight of her students. She cast a glance at the wall clock suspended on the back of the clock. It was time for the class to start. She clapped her hands to attract the student's attention. They immediately halted their activities and ran to their seats. "Okay class today we have a new student from the faraway land of Kanto. There might be differences between Kanto and Hoenn so he might not be familiar here. Please be nice to him!" The class nodded and the teacher opened the door to reveal Ash, Delia, and Giovanni with Ash still clinging on to Giovanni. The three of them walked towards the centre of the class with Giovanni walking awkwardly as Ash was still holding to his legs. This earned him a loud laughter from the class and even a small chuckle from the teacher. The teacher went closer to Ash and said, "Don't be shy. Why don't you introduce yourself?"

Giovanni struggled to release himself from Ash as he shook his leg but did it successfully. He gave Ash a pat on his shoulders to encourage him. After several seconds of silence, Ash mustered the courage to speak. "H-hi. My n-name is Ash K-ketchum. I am from P-pallet Town in Kanto. P-please be nice t-to me." Delia and Giovanni excused themselves from the class and left.

When they're outside the school Giovanni spoke, "You see there's only one empty seat in the class and look who's sitting next to the empty seat." Delia only saw the class briefly but saw a girl sitting next to the chair. Giovanni continued, "Though only time will tell that my prediction is correct or not."

Inside the class, the teacher smiled at Ash before taking his hand. "Good morning Ash. Call me Ms. Winona. For where you'll be sitting…" Winona looked around the class to spot an empty seat. "… there's an empty seat next to May." She pointed the table where a blue-eyed brunette whose hair reached the shoulder was sitting and an empty chair.

As Ash approached the chair he spoke nervously. "Hi. I'm Ash. Do you mind if I sit here." He earned a giggle and a smile from the brunette.

"Silly! You already introduced yourself. My name is May and just sit next to me. I don't mind." As Ash sat next to May she offered him a handshake, which he nervously returned. May continued giggling as she finds Ash's nervousness cute.

For the first day Winona let the students do anything they want as long as they don't disturb the class. Some were drawing while some were making jokes. Meanwhile, May was talking to Ash, wanting to know about life in Kanto. Ash started off nervously, not being used to telling stories but soon felt comfortable, enjoying May's presence. After Ash finished his story, he feels like it's his turn to ask so he asked May about her life in Hoenn. She told him her story happily. Ash found out that it never snows in Hoenn due to its climate, much to his disappointment, while May found out that Kanto was more technologically advanced than Hoenn, not that it mattered much to Ash due to his young age.

Soon, it's time for recess. Ash was starving and as Winona gave the signal for recess he became revitalised and rushed to his bag to get his meal. His mood went down after searching through his bag. _Must've left it at the table_. He thought to himself. He just put his head on the table and tried to sleep to pass off the time. May noticed that Ash wasn't in the very best mood so she gently tapped his shoulders. This woke Ash up.

"What's wrong May?" Ash's voice was a little loud as he was startled. However, Ash's loud voice did not affect May at all. Her face showed concern.

"That should be my question. Why are you not eating?"

Ash rubbed his head sheepishly and refused to give May an eye contact. "You see this morning I was very nervous about going to school so my parents rushed me. There was only 15 minutes before it starts so I left it on the dining table."

May laughed and giggled before handing Ash her meal. This surprises Ash a lot. A person who he just met a few hours ago was willing to share her lunch with him. He was hungry but he did not want to trouble people. "Are you sure? It's your food after all. It's just hunger. I mean when I go home I can eat."

In response, May put a finger in front of Ash's lips gesturing him to be silent. "It's okay. Mum made too much. I couldn't possibly eat all of them. Here I'll split it into two." May cut her sandwich into two equal parts and handed one of them to Ash. Ash thanked May and devoured his sandwich. May tried to hold back her laughter seeing the extent of Ash's hunger.

After May & Ash finished their sandwiches Winona clapped her hands again. "Time to go outside kids. You have 30 minutes. You can do anything at the park but make sure you stay at the park." They yelled in agreement and ran to the park outside the school building. Ash chose to use the seesaw and May followed Ash. It was obvious that both of them enjoyed their time together. By now there was no trace of the nervousness that Ash displayed earlier.

After a while Ash became bored so he decided to tease May. "Catch me if you can May!" He hopped off the seesaw and ran away from May but she wasn't going to lose.

"I will get you Ash!" She yelled in her loudest voice before she ran. The speed in which she ran was simply ridiculous. It was not normal for a 4-year-old to run with that speed, the speed that could match most 10-year-olds. Ash was simply running around the school building but after a minute or two May caught on to him and tackled him. Ash then felt a pair of arms around his waist and felt it squeezing him. "I got you now, _Ketchum_!"

"A-ah-ah. T-that h-hurts May." Ash was in pain but her face showed no signs of malicious intent, only playful intent. Seeing May's intention as innocent Ash could only laugh with May. Winona saw May tackled Ash to the ground and she ran to them, as she was afraid that a fight would break. However, their face only showed laughter and smiles. Winona realised that they were only playing around so she left them alone.

When playtime was over, Winona asked the students to walk back into the class, which they happily complied. For the next hour, Winona taught the class basic arithmetic with marbles. She was surprised by both Ash & May's competence in the subject. While the other students were struggling initially, they understood it immediately. _I see a couple with bright future_. She thought to herself.

The first day of school for both Ash & May was finally over. One by one the students were picked up by their parents but after 30 minutes there are 2 students left. Winona looked at them with concern.

"Where are your parents, Ash and May?" Both of them shook their heads non-verbally telling Winona they don't know. She proceeded to her desk and took a notebook containing information on how to contact each of the student's parents. First she contacted Giovanni.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Ketchum. This is Winona, your son's teacher. I apologise for disrupting you but it has been 30 minutes since class has been dismissed and your son has yet to be picked up."

"He-he-he. My bad. I was just getting acquainted with my new neighbours and it seems that I've lost track of time. Can you tell Ash I will be there in about 20 minutes?"

After Winona disconnected her call with Giovanni she proceeded to dial May's home. After a minute the voice of a woman, presumably May's mother could be heard on the other hand. "Good afternoon, this is the Maple household. I'm Caroline. How may I help you?"

"Good afternoon Ms. Maple, my name is Winona and I am your daughter's teacher. 30 minutes have passed since class has been dismissed and I was wondering, why no one has yet to come pick up your daughter."

"My apologies. I have just returned from grocery shopping several minutes ago. Would you please tell May that I'll be there with her father in about 20 minutes?"

After the call had ended, she told both Ash & May that their parents were going to pick them up in 20 minutes and they are free to do anything they want in the class given that the class will still be tidy afterwards. They nodded in agreement and Ash took a sheet of paper from the cupboard while May took a set of colour pencils from the shelves. They spent the 20 minutes drawing while laughing, cherishing the moments they spent with each other. The 20 minutes have passed and both sets of parents arrived simultaneously. Delia and Caroline ran to each of their respective children and hugged them while Giovanni and Norman, May's father, waited patiently near the door.

"Sorry for forgetting you. We promise it'll never happen again." Both mothers expected their children to be sad or angry but their response surprised them.

"It isn't all that bad. Ms. Winona's been with us all along and it's fun to be with Ash/May." Both children said in unison.

While the mother's and the children were with each other, the fathers took their time introducing themselves. Giovanni took the initiave and offered his right hand to Norman.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Giovanni Ketchum. It seems that our children have become friends so there's no reason why we should not."

"Nice to meet you too. My name is Norman Maple. You stole my line, you sly fox! Guess great minds think alike, eh?" Norman smiled at Giovanni and offered his hand and they shook hands.

"By the way, we need to keep in touch if we want to be friends. Here's my card." Norman accepted Giovanni's card and gave him his own.

Delia and Caroline held their children's hand and they went their separate ways. "See you tomorrow!" They yelled to each other before none of them were visible to the other anymore.

When the Ketchum family arrived at their house the first thing Ash does was running to the couch and unwinding after a long day. Giovanni and Delia followed Ash to the living and began questioning his first day. Giovanni started the conversation.

"Told you son. You'll be fine after the first day. And see, someone already likes you. Norman's daughter, who's her name again?"

"It's May and you're right dad it gets better!"

Delia decided to join the conversation. "What did you do with her today?"

"Nothing much. We just talked about Hoenn and Kanto and played see-saw. Wait! I got off the see-saw and made her chase me. Trust me I don't want to do it again. She ran with a speed that could make a Ninjask green with envy and after she caught me she tackled me and hugged me harder than an Ursaring could. But she's a very sweet girl, I left my lunch at home and she shared her sandwich, I didn't even ask. She said her mum made too much but from the size of the sandwich I'm not so sure. I don't know why she would do that."

Giovanni and Delia couldn't believe from what Ash had just said. It was obvious to them that the brunette liked their son but they couldn't have expected that it would have been to this extent. He whispered to Delia so that Ash couldn't hear it. "I don't believe we went this far on our first day. All we did was just talking with each other." Giovanni's face turned stern and serious before he faced Ash. "So son, would you mind telling me when May and you will be wed?" He broke out of his intimidating look before bursting out into laughter, enjoying his joke at his son's expense.

"Daaaaaaaaad!" Ash yelled out in embarrassment his face clearly red, even more than the one that happened in the morning. Delia, having enough of her husband's teasing, scolded him. After calming down, Giovanni walked to his room to take a nice, warm bath while Delia went to the kitchen to make tea for the family.

Meanwhile Ash was still on the couch feeling exhausted, thinking about his day with May. _What a way for a first day of school_. That was his last thought before he fell asleep with a smile on his face.

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**(A/N)** This chapter could be read as a one-shot but I'm planning to make this a chapter fic. It shows the relationship between Ash & May through different ages. I'm planning to make around 10 chapters for this story. The last chapter will have Ash & May aged about 25.


	2. Cards and Chocolates

Chapter 2: Cards and Chocolates

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**Ages**

Ash: 8

May: 7

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The weather in Littleroot Town was unusually cold and the sky was rather dark despite the fact that it was noon. It was said that Mount Chimney released a higher-than-average amount of smoke during the past few days, which blocked some of the sunlight. However, cold and dark are not the appropriate terms to describe the people inside Littleroot Primary School.

Kids were running around, chasing and yelling to each other, seemingly unaffected by the weather. If their parents ever saw them like this they would all made a mental note to severely limit their children's sugar intake. This level of energy would be unacceptable during class time. However, it was lunchtime so the teacher decided to let them be.

As soon as the bell rang, everyone ran as fast as a Jolteon to the class, showing no signs of energy depletion after their playing session. Now that it was time for class they sat on their respective seats, eager for their next lesson. When the teacher arrived, she opened her book and checked attendances. When she was done, she took a calendar from the wall and showed it to the class.

"Class, what date is it today?" The class enthusiastically yelled the answer. Once they calmed down, the teacher continued. "So what's going to happen in a few days." Before the class has a chance to yell she interrupted them. "If you know the answer, raise your hands up." All the girls raised their hands while the boys were scratching their heads, as they couldn't deduce the answer. A brunette girl raised her hand first which the teacher noticed. "Yes, May?"

"It must be Valentine's Day! Am I right Ms. Glacia?"

"That is correct. Now what do you do at Valentine's Day?"

"You give chocolates and cards to the boy you like!"

"Correct again! Now you have a few days and make sure that he will like it. For the boys you don't have to give chocolates but make a card for a girl you like."

The girls were jumping in excitement while the boys glanced at each other not fully understanding the girls' extreme enthusiasm. Glacia then started her lesson. "Okay class now it's time for English. Take out your _Lucario and the Mystery of Mew _book_._" May was panicking, frantically searching her bag for the book, taking out all other contents but still she couldn't find the book. Ash gently tapped her shoulder.

"Forgot your book?" May nodded slowly. Ash flashed her his smile. "Not a big problem. Just share with me." Ash moved his book to the middle of the table so that May can also read it.

When the day ended, most children rushed home, but Ash left his bag on his desk and ran to the park. May knew what Ash was about to do and did the same. At the park, May could see Ash and a few other boys around his age at the football pitch. May sat on the grass watching them play, but somehow her eyes were always following the movements of a certain raven-haired boy. When Ash was about to shoot the ball, May yelled his name fanatically, hoping to boost his confidence. Ash was feeling slightly embarrassed from the excessive cheering but managed to keep his composure nonetheless, successfully putting the ball behind the net. May was the only girl watching and one would not be at fault for assuming that she felt lonely. However, her mind was too distracted on _someone_ to think about loneliness. When the game ended May ran to the park and gave Ash her trademark _Ursaring _hug before he could even move a step.

"That was fantastic Ash! You should play for the Hoenn National Team in the future." Ash simply looked on the grass, unable to withstand May's compliments. After a while Ash looked up to see one of his opponents, a boy with an eerily similar hairstyle to him but with a brown hair instead of black, whistling.

"Ashy~boy's got a personal cheerleader!"

"Q-quiet Gary!"

"Or maybe… she's your girlfriend! Ah, young love."

Ash had enough of Gary's teasing so he has no hesitation in letting out his loudest voice. "She. Is. Not. My. _Girlfriend_! But she is a girl and she is my friend, if that's what you meant." May felt slightly disappointed at Ash's remarks but she hid it rather well and Ash didn't see it. Ash looked up to the sky wondering why _Arceus _despised him. He already had more than his fair share of teasing in the form of his father and now there's one more. He then looked at Gary again before shooting him a glare. "If you dare say one more word… I'll tell Dawn that you like her."

This has the immediate effect of making Gary stuttering and blushing. "N-no please don't! I'll tell her later." Gary kneeled at Ash in a rather overdramatic manner, showing his desperation for Ash not to tell Dawn. Ash clenched his fist at his victory over Gary. He walked back into the class and grabbed his bag. He walked past the hallway and exited the school. He prepared to turn right, the direction of his house. However, before he could turn, he felt a tug on his shirt. He turned around to see a shy-looking May. He turned around and took May's hand off his shirt softly.

"What is the problem May?"

May's body was shaking in fear. "It's just that I'm too scared to walk alone. That time I was walking alone, a Seviper attacked me. I don't want that to happen again." Ash gave her a warm smile, fully grasping the situation.

"Sure! I have lots of free time. I'd rather spend those with a friend." He offered May his hand, which she happily accepted with both her hands. Instead of turning to the right, which he originally intended, he turned to the left heading to May's house. They spent the 20-minute-walk in almost silence, with May still trembling and Ash watching his surroundings intently, to ensure that no harm will ever come to May. It was a labouring job for Ash, but seeing May safe was more than a reward for it. Soon, they arrived in front of the Maple household. Ash carefully knocked the door and waited for a minute, hearing the sound of footsteps getting louder and louder before the door opened to reveal Caroline in a bathrobe, with steam around her.

"Hello Ash! Are you visiting? Come on in!"

"Sorry Ms. Maple. I'm not exactly here for a visit. You see she was a little afraid of going home alone so I walked her home."

"Such a gentleman! If you were my age, I would gladly marry you! Just kidding. But feel free to visit us anytime."

Ash walked back to his house slowly at first but at the sight of a thundercloud, increased his pace immediately. What was normally a 30-minute trip was shortened to a 20-minute one. Unfortunately he was still walking too slowly and his outfit was now soaked, as if the sweat from the earlier game was not wet enough. When he arrived home, he knocked the door loudly, in contrast to the knock on the door of May's house. Delia opened the door to see her son's hair down instead of spiky as usual and soaked. She took him inside and began questioning him. "Why are you so late, young man?"

Ash told his mother about May and her traumatic encounter. She told him to take a shower, which he obeyed. As soon as the bathroom door closed she was deep in thought. _That's strange. When I talked with Caroline yesterday she told me that May often wandered outside the house alone. One time, she even saw May happily chasing a Seviper and cuddling it._

Meanwhile, May has just taken a shower and started scribbling on a paper. She was struggling with something. Caroline was going to bake some cookies when she passed by May's room and saw her struggling. She put her plan for baking cookies to a halt and entered May's room but not before knocking on the door. She got closer to May's desk and saw the paper was full of ink.

"What's the problem sweetheart? Homework?"

May frowned and looked on the desk. "N-no, it's about Ash!"

Caroline had a surprised look. She thought that Ash was nice but what could he possibly done to cause May in this state? She checked her daughter for wounds but found none. "What happened? Did he hurt you?"

May quickly denied it and shook her head quickly. "No! It's quite the opposite. He's been nothing but nice to me. Sharing books with me, walking me home, talking with me, smiling at me. He's the nicest person I've ever met and that's exactly the problem."

Caroline stared at her daughter, not understanding the seemingly contradictory statements. "Why is it a problem if he's very nice to you?"

"It's just that Valentine's Day is in a few days. I want to write Ash a card but I don't know what to write. I mean it can't be anything ordinary. I want it to be special, to show how much he means to me, how much he have done for me."

Caroline squealed after hearing May's dilemma. "My little May have a crush. So cute!" She proceeded to pinch May's cheeks. May attempted to deny Caroline's statement but the blush on her face showed that she didn't do a very great job.

Sighing in defeat, she spoke in a defeated tone. "Okay mum, I do have a crush on Ash. But don't tell him. What if he hates me?"

"All-right all right! Here I'll help you. First, you should keep the words simple. He won't understand if you use complicated words. Second, be honest. He'll appreciate it if you mean it." Caroline pulled an empty sheet of paper from May's desk and handed it to her. "First step, write words that describe Ash. No need to write sentences, just words." As May wrote, Caroline smiled at the paper. When she was done, it was time for the next step. "Group the words that rhyme, like they end with the same sound."

An hour later May finished writing her message on paper. All she needs to do was getting a card and write it on the card. She was very satisfied with the results and to show gratitude she kissed her mother on the cheek. Caroline left the room and now May was smiling instead of frowning, with her dilemma gone.

The next day, May acted as if she wasn't planning anything. She didn't mention anything about cards and chocolates to Ash. So far, her plan was successful. Ash didn't suspect a thing. They just talked and played with each other. Caroline promised to get her a card so she only need to deal with the chocolates. May was thinking what kind of chocolate Ash would like. Brown chocolate? White chocolate?

Caroline picked May at the school and she walked out of the school enthusiastically, eager to go shopping for Ash's chocolates. The shop they went to was relatively large for a shop that sells only chocolates. Drools dripped out of May's mouth from the large amounts and assortments of chocolates available. She searched around the shop, looking for the perfect chocolate for Ash. The search lasted for around an hour and by that time, she had searched the shop for over five times. Caroline agreed with May's choice and they left the store for home.

When May went to her room, she saw an empty card. It was heart shaped card with a vivid red colour. It was perfect for her message. She quickly hugged her mother, satisfied with what she gave.

The next day was finally Valentine's Day. The day May have been waiting for. She was feeling ecstatic, like many girls in her class, wanting to give the cards and chocolates to their respective crushes immediately. She hoped that her teacher would let her give it early in the morning but it turned out she have to be waiting for several more hours as the cards are allowed to be given during the last period.

The last period has finally arrived. Instead of having a normal class time, the teacher allowed the students a free period to hand out the cards and share the experiences with each other. Everyone rushed to their bags and grabbed their cards while the girls also brought chocolates.

Ash walked to May's desk before nervously handing her his card. "I'm not that good with words. I hope you like it." May smiled and accepted his card happily. She was thrilled as her crush gave her a card and she enjoyed the nervous face he was making. However, Ash was not the only one to give her a card. A green-haired boy, whose name she didn't know, also gave her a card. May couldn't care less about the card but she glanced at Ash to see if he displayed any signs of jealousy but it seems like Ash didn't see her getting a card from another boy. Meanwhile, she could see two girls near Ash. Both girls have short hairs, but one was orange while the other one was purple. Unlike Ash, May saw this and she was feeling slightly jealous though Ash didn't notice it. After giving a thought, she couldn't blame the other girls for liking such a likable person. She decided to give Ash her card last so she could have more time talking to him.

Ash saw Gary still at his seat shaking with a card on his desk, it was his, he had yet to give it to a certain bluenette. It was a rarity to see the usually overconfident Gary with the look of someone who has just seen a Gengar.

"Gary, how are you going to give it to her when you're here shaking like you've been frozen by an Articuno?"

"Quiet! It's not like you gave your card to May."

That line was a mistake in Gary's part. Ash let out a large grin, a grin usually shown by Ash when he has won a match. "Actually I already did did. Just ask her if you don't believe me. If I can, so can you."

Not wanting to completely lose to Ash, Gary gained a newfound courage and walked to Dawn's desk. When he was about to give Dawn his card, he found a huge surprise. Dawn also had a card for him. Gary went back to his desk and just sat there smiling, feeling elated. He was daydreaming, thinking of his future, envisioning Dawn and his children on the beach spraying water at each other and laughing. His daydream session ended when he felt a hard pat on his shoulder.

"Told you that you can do it! It's not that hard, is it?"

There was 5 minutes left before the day was going to end. May decided that this was the perfect moment to give it to Ash. Ash was reading a book when May gave him the chocolates and cards.

"Can you meet me at the park outside the school later?"

"Sure, why not?"

Nearing the end of the day means that stomachs are usually near empty so between the options of reading the card or munching the chocolates, Ash had no hesitation in choosing the later. _This is one of the best chocolates I've ever tasted! _Then Ash opened the card and had a huge smile on his face after reading May's message.

When the bell rang, signaling that the day was over, Ash hurried to the park not wanting to make May wait. The park was mostly empty, Ash could only see the plants and May.

"Why are you calling me here? Is it about the cards?"

May was acting very shy as she responded to Ash's questions. "Y-y-yes. What do you think?"

"The chocolate was one of the best chocolates I've ever tasted and I liked what you wrote on the card."

May shot Ash a hopeful look, wanting for Ash's last statement to be real instead of a figment of her imagination. "D-did you mean what you had just said?"

"O-of course. And it is very special to me?"

"Really? Was it the chocolate? Or was it the card?" Ash shook his head in disagreement.

"None of them. As I said earlier, I enjoyed both of them. But they were no match for one thing…" He paused before giving May his warm smile. "… the one who made them. It's always special when a friend made it for you. You are my friend, May. You are special to me."

"Thank you Ash! I'm afraid you won't like it but I'm happy that you liked it. Thank you again!" Ash received a hug from May before she took her bag and walked home alone. As May disappeared from Ash's sight, he noticed something odd. _Huh, a few days ago she was really scared about going home alone. Maybe she got over it. That's great!_


	3. Family Outing

**(A/N): **Max does not exist in this story as I don't feel he is necessary for character development. So May is also an only child. Sorry Max fans.

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Chapter 3: Family Outing

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**Ages**

Ash: 10

May: 9

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_Standing in a long hallway with a huge crowd on either side, a man with spiky, jet-black hair, wearing a black tuxedo was standing next to a man with similar build and hair, only brown instead of black. At one end of the hallway, a woman with brown hair that reached her shoulders and wearing a long, elegant, silk-white dress, was standing, waiting patiently for the man. The building was in complete silence, despite the huge crowd, until a voice gradually gets louder and louder. Ash… Ash… Ash…_

"Ash!"

The whole image shattered abruptly, replaced by a completely new and distinct one. This new image consists of a simple bedroom surrounded by emerald coloured walls, though the image was still blurry. The loud noise woke Ash up. Rubbing his eyes in a rather rough manner, the image began to get clearer and clearer.

"Mum! Today's Saturday! Can't I get some sleep?"

Delia shook her head. Seeing an argument as pointless, Ash put his head back on the pillow. She knew her son was stubborn and forcing him out of bed by force was not her method so she placed her thumb on her forehead, thinking of a way. A few moments later, an idea formed. A surefire way to get Ash out of bed with minimum force. She gets closer and closer to Ash and positioned her mouth so that it was next to his ear. With her soft voice, she whispered. "Breakfast."

In a blink of an eye, Ash was nowhere to be seen, with the door wide open and loud footsteps were heard near the stairs. Delia smiled to herself, the plan was always a success. She closed the door gently and walked downstairs to the dining table.

Ash was devouring his breakfast, nothing was out of the norm. Having finished his meal in seconds, he couldn't help but to think about his dream. _Those two men. That woman. They look very familiar but I can't figure out who they are. But I feel something strange about the dream. It's like it's somehow connected to me._

"Ash, take a bath and change your clothes. We're going out in an hour."

Ash cocked his head in confusion. Neither of his parents have told him of any plans of going out. After a tiring school week, he was planning to spend the weekend at his bed, reading books or watching TV to unwind, but it seems those plans have gone down the drain. He could only hope that what his parents were planning would be exciting.

"Where? What are we going to do?"

"You can always trust your mother, Ash. I'm sure you'll going to like it." Delia smiled at Ash, trying to convince him. "Yesterday, Caroline called me and invited the three of us to join them for a day together. You know what that means, Ash?"

Sparks could be seen in Ash's eyes, he could finally understand where this was heading to. Delia couldn't help but continue smiling, she could see that her son was finally getting excited. "That means that you can get to play with May." Ash jumped to his mother and gave her a bone-crushing hug in gratitude. Having been on the receiving end of such hugs from a certain brunette countless times, he has learnt how to give one himself.

Meanwhile in the Maple household, May was walking around the house in a quick pace. She can't keep still. Seeing their daughter in this hyperactive state, Norman sighed while Caroline was squealing, knowing the reason behind May's actions.

"Be patient May. I know we're going to be with the Ketchums for the whole day, which includes you-know-who, but you should keep your energy until later."

Seeing the logic in her mother's statement, May sat patiently on the couch while watching the television. At the very least, she was attempting to stay calm. It was the first time she gets to spend the whole day with her crush. And no school works to bother them either. It will be a day of only fun. She couldn't wait for the hour to end when the Ketchums will arrive at their doorstep.

An hour later a knock was heard in front of the door. Without thinking, May rushed to the door, already having an idea of the people on the other side of the door. She opened the door to see Delia, Giovanni, and Ash, just as she had expected. She gave a regular greeting to both Delia and Giovanni, but gave Ash her style of greeting, to be exact the oh-so-familiar hug. Seeing the sight, Giovanni muttered _Young love_. May politely gestured for the three of them to come to the living room and sit.

As Norman and Caroline noticed the presence of Giovanni and Delia, they exchanged friendly hugs, though it's the soft and gentle one, unlike May's hugs. As soon as they finished exchanging hugs, all 6 exited the house and entered Giovanni's car. Giovanni was in the driver's seat while Delia sat next to him, Norman & Caroline were content to sit in the middle row while Ash & May were more than happy to be at the rear.

The park they were heading to was slightly far from Littleroot Town so the trip took about 2 hours. The 4 parents were rarely making any noises, simply enjoying the view. They were conserving their energy for the time at the park. However, the same cannot be said about the children. There were only 2, yet from the amount of noise they made, an estimate of at least 5 children would not be unreasonable. The giggling May made when Ash cracked a joke, the manic laughter Ash made when May mercilessly tickled him. They couldn't limit their volume when they're telling each other stories about interesting things that happen in their lives. Strangely, most of their stories involve their experiences with each other. Their parents couldn't help but overhear their conversation. Giovanni muttered _Young love_ again, but this time, Caroline joined him.

When they arrived at the park, Giovanni found a parking space and parked there. He went out of the car in a normal pace. So do Delia, Norman and Caroline. However, the same can't be said about May and Ash. The pace in which they went out of the car was breathtaking. This unbelievable pace could be attributed to the seemingly infinite energy associated with youth, combined with the fact that both of them were with their favourite people.

Delia and Caroline laid the mat while Giovanni & Norman took the foods out of the picnic basket. There was enough food to feed 10 people, despite having only 6 people in the group. Both Delia & Caroline have made sure to bring an excess supply of foods & beverages, as they have known that their children's appetite could rival a Snorlax. This was another consequence of limitless energy.

May & Ash failed to notice the mat and basket as they immediately chased each other playfully. Unlike the chase that happened 5 years ago, May now had more difficulties in chasing Ash.

The baskets have been almost emptied, with the contents on the mat instead. Delia was enjoying the beauty of Mother Nature while slowly sipping a warm cup of tea while the other three parents were happily engaging in a conversation with each other.

"So Norman, how did you and Caroline met?"

"It was 15 years ago, when we were about May & Ash's age. I was rushing home after school because my favourite show was about to play. Caroline was carrying some glassware and as I was running I didn't take notice about my surroundings. I bumped into her and you know what happens next. Not a very good first impression, eh?"

Caroline decided to continue Norman's story from here onwards. "Of course, I was outraged. I yelled to him, demanding that he do something to atone for his mistakes. So he asked where I bought it and he went there to buy it with his own money. After that, I thanked him and we introduced ourselves to each other."

Giovanni was listening intently to the story but Norman wondered why he was asking a question like that. "Not to be rude or something, but why are you asking that?"

Giovanni let out a small chuckle before answering. "Two reasons. One, I was just curious. Two, I want to tell you how I met Delia. So, it was my first day of school. I can't put into words how nervous I am. My mother has to carry me to school. When I was inside the class, my teacher made me sit next to Delia. She calmly introduced her self while I'm not sure if she can hear what I was saying, I was stuttering and shaking. We spent the day chatting with each other. She wasn't very much of a talker, but it doesn't make it any less fun."

Taking a deep breath, Giovanni continued. "There is one reason why I want to share my story with you. Do you know why?" Both Maples shook their head. "It's Ash's first day of school five years ago. He was also very nervous, all though not as much as me, he walked by his own. There was only one empty seat so he sat there, May was sitting next to him. Both me and Delia left the class afterwards so I don't know what they did."

Norman noticed the similarities between Norman and Ash's story and he had an idea. "Wait, why does your first day & Ash's first day sound almost identical?"

"Exactly! What I've been trying to say is what if both of them end up like me and Delia?"

This earned a laugh from Norman. What was the possibility of both father and son marrying their childhood friends? "Don't you think that's a little far-fetched?"

"Not exactly. Sure it is not certain that they're going to be married in the future but look at them now."

Norman looked at both Ash & May. They were lying on the grass, gazing at the sky, with their heads brushing against each other. They were taking a short break, after chasing each other. Smiles were visible on their faces, either from looking at the sky's beauty or the presence of each other. The day was slightly cold, so they held hands to share their body warmth. There were no words exchanged between them but none were necessary to show that they were very comfortable with each other. Norman's sight was interrupted by Giovanni's voice.

"Do you see what I mean now? If I hadn't known them any better, I would've thought that they're a couple. Look at them holding hands! Too bad they don't know what it means."

Norman looked at his watch. The watch shows that it was lunchtime so he yelled so that May & Ash can hear it. They stood up right away and hurried to the picnic mat. As always, they gobbled down their food while their parents were eating slowly, enjoying their food. Everything went well until there was only one more sandwich left and the facial expression of both children showed they both want it. This was a very familiar scenario for parents. Two children fighting over an item. They would yell at each other and a physical fight was possible. In any case, the parents were ready to break the fight. However, to their huge surprise, the fight never came. Ash took the sandwich without any resistance from May and instead of eating it, he gave it to May. The surprise doesn't end there. May split the sandwich into two parts and handing Ash one of them. Both of them showed their gratitude to each other and they were genuinely smiling. Giovanni & Norman scratched their heads. This behaviour was atypical of kids. They usually haven't learnt the customs of sharing yet these two were treating it as if it were normal. On the other hand, the enthusiasm displayed by them at the beginning of a day was just like a little kid. The fathers were wondering whether their children were still a child or not. Caroline was squealing at her daughter's behaviour while Delia was smiling, she was delighted by her son's maturity. Several minutes later both children burped simultaneously, signaling that they have had enough, and ran to the field to resume playing.

While drinking a cup of coffee, Giovanni said. "I said earlier that if I hadn't known them, I would've thought they're a couple. Now, even when I know them, I'm starting to doubt that they were only friends."

This earned the interest of the other parents. Caroline agreed with Giovanni's statement. "I don't know about Ash but May admitted she has a crush on him. This morning she was very excited about today that she couldn't keep still. So have Ash confessed to either of you?"

Delia and Giovanni shook their heads. "I'm not saying he doesn't have a crush on her but no, he hasn't told us. Although from how he acts around her, I'm sure he has. When I asked him about school, somehow May was always involved in his stories. This could either mean two things. Either Ash was hiding it or he just doesn't realise it yet."

Meanwhile, May and Ash were at the top of a hill located at the park while the parents were at the bottom. May was at the edge of the hill and while she was walking, she accidentally hit a rock. She was about to fall of the hill and yelled in reflex. All 4 parents were alerted by her yell and stood up, preparing to help her. However, before they could even move, Ash came to her rescue and grabbed her hand. Once she recovered from her shock, she sat on the grass and Ash did the same.

"Thanks for saving me Ash!"

"What kind of friend am I if I didn't save you?"

May went closer and closer to Ash before pecking him on the cheeks. This has the immediate effect of turning his face red as tomato and impairing his speech.

"W-wh-what was t-that f-f-for?"

"Your reward, _my hero_" May said in a seductive voice never heard before by Ash. He could only shiver at the foreign tone his friend used.

Down the hill, Giovanni saw what happened and he was stunned at what he saw. "Norman, Caroline, I believed you when you said your daughter have a crush on my son but that was one bold move! It was different from Delia and me. She was a little shy so I had to make the first move and that was when I was 12 or 13 while your daughter did it at 9."

Caroline was squealing in her head. _That's how you do it, May!_ Norman has no comment for his daughter's behaviour while Delia was happy for her son. _Someone has a crush on little Ashy. That is very cute_!

A few hours later the children's activities have toned down. They were just engaging in a conversation with each other while sitting on the grass. Their conversation was interrupted by the voice of their parents.

"It's time to go home!"

Both were slightly disappointed that their day was over but they have no other choice but to obey their parents. They walked down the hill and then went inside the car. The seating arrangement was similar to the earlier arrangement, except that Norman and Caroline were switching places with Delia and Giovanni. The trip to the Maple's house was almost silent. This time there were no loud noises, or any noises for that matter, from the two children, a huge contrast from the earlier trip. Giovanni was curious so he turned his head to the back of the car and found them sleeping, with their heads resting against each other's shoulders. Outside, the sun was setting. Giovanni considered waking the two so they could see the beautiful view but quickly decided against it, thinking a nap after a long day as more important.

As soon as the car arrived in May's house, Caroline woke her up. May wanted to say goodbye to Ash the usual way but seeing Ash sleeping, gave him another peck on the cheek. Even if Ash was unconscious, a smile formed on his face after the kiss. May giggled after seeing his reaction before entering her house.

When Ash was woken up after arriving home by his mother, he felt something on his cheek. _Something feels warm on my cheek, but when I touched it, I felt nothing. I wonder what it is._

Today was one of the best days in Ash's life. It was a simple day, a day at the park. But he gets to spend the day talking and playing with his best friend. He couldn't wait to see May again when the new school week starts.

In May's house, May was sleeping on the couch peacefully, exhausted after one of the most enjoyable days of her life. She was now dreaming of standing near a podium, wearing a beautiful wedding dress, while a slightly tanned man with jet-black hair was standing in front of her.

Caroline walked past her to see a huge smile on her face. She could also hear her daughter mutter _I'm finally getting married to Ash! I'm so happy!_


	4. Illness

**(A/N): **One of the more serious chapters of this story. Where Ash displayed his non-childish behaviour.

* * *

Chapter 4: Illness

* * *

**Ages**

Ash: 13

May: 12

* * *

Fridays were always children's favourite day of the school week. Despite the tired look on their faces after school has taken its toll on their brain, they were excited for the weekend. The things they could do during the weekend. Visiting their friends' house, going to the amusement park, take a break at their house, the possibilities are as limitless as space itself. However, any signs of excitement could not be seen on two people. The look on one of them showed either depression or extreme exhaustion and the look on the other one showed concern.

Lunch had just ended and both of them were heading to their next class. Ash has noticed that May was acting strangely the whole day. _Something's a bit odd about May. She's walking slowly, her face is red and she's spacing out a lot. Is there something on her mind?_

"May, are you alright?" May was looking at the ground, clearly not listening to Ash's questions. Ash waved his palms in front of her, trying to get her attention. "May, is anything wrong?" May jerked her head, finally hearing Ash's words.

"What do you mean wrong? I'm perfectly fine…" Her voice was slowly fading. Ash decided to believe May's words and walked through the hallway. As he was walking, he noticed that there was no one besides him. He stopped walking and turned his body and saw that May was walking slowly and in a shaky manner. He walked towards her and gestured her to walk faster. A few moments later, the exact same thing happened. As he was about to turn his body again, he heard something hit the floor. He looked to his back and was thoroughly surprised. May was on the floor, with her head making contact to the floor. Ash was yelling to May, not caring about school rules at all, but received no response. By now, he was sure that May was unconscious. He rushed to May, gently flipped her body over and placed his palm on her forehead. It felt as hot as a Moltres.

Ash was hitting the floor with his fists in frustration. Guilt was evident in his thoughts. _Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why didn't I notice it earlier? If anything happens to her, it's my responsibility._ Realising that being angry would only serve to cloud his judgments even more, he put both his & May's bag on the ground and proceeded to carry her to the sickbay. As he arrived in front of the sickbay, he prepared to knock the door as he usually does but with both his hands occupied with May he stopped to think about alternatives. He found one, it was rather impolite and could result in punishment, but with May's condition, he'd rather get punished. His alternative was to kick the door, albeit gently, to convey the message to the nurse that he has no ill intent. The nurse heard the knock and opened the door. Needless to say, the sight shocked her.

"Arceus! What happened?"

"I don't know! She suddenly collapsed and she has a high fever. Please help nurse."

Ash placed May on the bed and let the nurse check her while he sat at the chair. He was afraid, worried that something bad could happen to her. It couldn't simply be a fever. A regular fever doesn't cause someone to just collapse like that. Pessimistic thoughts surfaced in his mind. _What if May is in a coma? What if she could… pass away? No, Ash! Don't think like that! She will be just fine._ Despite Ash trying to convince himself that nothing will happen to May, his worry haven't subsided at all. He saw that the nurse has finished checking May and the look on her face told him that there was bad news.

"What's her name and class?"

"May Maple. Class 8B. What's wrong with her, nurse?"

"She has caught a terrible sickness. I will have to bring her to the hospital. Now you go back to your class. Thanks for all your help."

Ash walked back to his class. He walked very slowly. His mind was preoccupied with the thoughts of May in a less-than-well condition to realise that he was 15 minutes late for his next class. As he was in front of his class, he opened the door, which disrupted the lesson.

"Over 15 minutes late. Explain, Mr. Ketchum!"

"S-sorry. I was walking here with May when she suddenly collapsed. So I brought her to the sick bay. That is why she's not here."

"Just take a seat."

As Ash walked to his desk, a snicker could be heard from Gary and Dawn. He sat and attended the lesson. The lesson was nothing out of the ordinary, with the teacher giving the usual lectures and exercises. However, Ash felt something odd. There was usually a person next to him. Helping each other with exercises, sharing jokes. This time, that person was sick. Ash couldn't pay attention to his teacher, as the only thing on his mind was May.

During the day, all of Ash's teachers noticed that he was not listening to any of them. It was easy to tell, Ash was usually active on the class. Constantly asking questions, eagerly answering the teacher's questions, and more. Compared to the usual Ash, this Ash was like an impostor masquerading as him. One other thing they noticed was that the seat next to Ash was empty. There was usually a brunette girl who almost always sat next to him. A single question was asked by every single teacher to themselves. _Coincidence?_

When the day ended, Ash immediately went to the sickbay only to see that the nurse was the only one in the room. The beds were empty, the blankets were neatly folded as if there were no traces of anyone occupying them. This worried Ash even more.

"Nurse, where is she?"

"Oh! I called her parents and they brought her to the hospital."

"Where is it? Where is the hospital?" The tone used by Ash showed that he was impatient, he was panicking.

"Calm down. They said it was the one at Petalburg City."

"Thanks nurse!" Ash said before storming out of the sickbay.

Petalburg City was an hour away from Littleroot by car so walking was definitely not an option. The choice of asking May's parent to pick him was ruled out as it was impolite and they wouldn't leave May at the hospital alone. This leaves Ash with one more choice. It's not exactly a desirable choice but it has a chance of success and a chance, no matter how little, was better than no chance at all. He then took his phone out of his pocket and dialed Giovanni's number. The dialing tone lasted for a minute before Giovanni answered the call.

"What's up, son?"

"Emergency, dad! Can you pick me up at school now?"

"Sure. I'll be done with work in like 30 minutes so I'll be there in about an hour. In the meantime, why don't you play with your girlfriend?"

"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" Ash yelled to the phone before abruptly ending the phone. Even after enduring more than half a decade of his father's teasing, he still hasn't gotten used to it. Despite disagreeing that May was his girlfriend, he hoped he could spend the hour playing with her, which unfortunately was impossible. While waiting for his father to be at school, he went to the school library and did his homework. Images of his sick friend kept surfacing on his head, which somehow distracted him from his work, but he managed to complete one by the time his father arrived. Both of them walked to the car and as Giovanni turned the key to switch the car on, he asked Ash.

"What is this emergency you speak of, son?"

"It's about May. She collapsed suddenly and had a very high fever. She's now at the hospital in Petalburg City. Can you bring me there?"

"Sure son! What kind of boyfriend would leave their girl in the hospital?"

Ash's usual reaction to his father's teasing was to yell at him with a slight blush on his face. However, his concern for May far exceeded his embarrassment so he stayed silent. Giovanni looked at him and looked slightly puzzled, Ash rarely showed his serious side so he stopped the teasing. He decided not to talk to Ash as he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts so the whole trip was spent in complete silence.

They went to the receptionist and asked for the location of May's room. After a while, the receptionist was convinced that they were an acquaintance of May and gave them her room number. Ash ran as fast as he could to her room while Giovanni attempted to keep up with his pace. In front of the room, Ash gently knocked the door and a woman opened the door.

The room was relatively large for a hospital. There were a large couch that could easily fit 4 people and several chairs surrounding a table and a television. It was as if the room has its own living room.

"Oh it's Ash & Giovanni! What a pleasant surprise! Come on in."

"Caroline! Nice to meet you! Where's Norman?"

"He's at work. I bet your son forced you to bring him to his sick girlfriend."

"Heh. You got that spot on. On the way here his face was very serious, not a that face I often see. Ah young love!"

While both adults were talking about him and teasing him, Ash rushed to May's bed, not hearing what the parents were talking about, where she was still unconscious. Tears were shed from his eyes and fell on her. Finally, he can release all of his pent-up anxiety, frustration, and worry.

Giovanni looked at his watch. It was time to pick Delia up at the mall so he quickly excused himself from the room while asking Caroline to take care of Ash. Ash was just staring at the helpless body of May, patiently waiting for her to wake up. However, even after waiting for hours, May's eye hasn't opened. The sun was setting and Ash's stomach growled, telling him that he need dinner but he did nothing about it, either ignoring it or was not aware of it. Caroline understood Ash's concern for her daughter but she didn't want him to starve so she went to the cafeteria and bought a quick meal. He ate it unenthusiastically, May's sickness have affected him a lot as he usually devoured his food.

The evening was spent in total silence. Ash was looking blankly at May again. There was television in the room, it had the kind of programmes Ash would enjoy but he wasn't in the mood. What kind of person would be having fun while their best friend that's right next to them was ill? It was supposed to be boring and dull to stare at the same place while not moving for hours. Ash's head only consist of the thought of May waking up and the joy Ash would feel so time passes by without him noticing. By midnight, the emotional turmoil and exhaustion has taken its toll on him and he fell asleep in a sitting position with his head resting on May's stomach.

The next day, the bright sunlight shone through the hospital's window and the ray happened to be incident on Ash's eyes, which instantly woke him up. He yawned and stretched before standing up and seeing a smiling Caroline.

"Did you have a good sleep, Ash?"

"Not exactly. When May is helplessly lying on the bed, it's hard to sleep well. Anyways, I'm going to get some fresh air."

Several minutes after Ash left the room, May's eyes started to move before they opened. She was still feeling weak but strong enough to speak. She can only see her mother in the room. She was feeling a little odd, waking up to find that she's in a foreign place.

"Mum, where am I? The last thing I remember was walking with Ash and I suddenly blacked out."

Caroline ran to her daughter and hugged her. She was very happy that her daughter finally woke up after almost a day.

"You suddenly collapsed so Ash brought you to the sickbay then the nurse called us so we can bring you here. You should've seen how Ash carried you to the sickbay."

May was surprised at what her mother told her about Ash. She has always known that Ash was a very kindhearted and caring person but still, she doesn't know that it was to this extent. Now, she wished that he was here so she could thank him for everything he did but she was sure he was at his home sleeping. Guess no one can win them all.

"Mum, did Ash say that he would be visiting today? I know it sounds selfish but I really wish he was here."

Caroline showed a confused look but quickly realised that May had no idea about Ash's whereabouts. "What are you talking about May? He was here all night long. See that chair next to the bed? That's where he was sitting ever since he came here. All he did was stare at you, waiting for you to wake up. He didn't even eat like he usually did. He must be very worried of you. You should be thankful you have a friend like him. He's definitely one of a kind."

May was crying, she was touched by Ash's behaviour. Now she was confused on how to thank him for what he did and apologise for the trouble she caused him.

"W-where is he now?"

"Downstairs, getting some fresh air. He should be back in a few minutes. Now just lie down and relax. You'll recover quicker that way."

A few minutes later, Ash finished cooling down and entered the room to check on May's condition but when he saw her open eyes, he was overjoyed, as if he won the ultimate treasure in his life. He ran to May and hugged her tightly. This was the first time Ash had ever hugged May in such manner, it's usually the other way around.

"May! You're alright! I was very worried about you. You wouldn't open your eyes even after several hours. I once thought that you would never open your eyes again. Thank Arceus you're fine!"

"I've heard about everything you did. How can I ever thank you?"

"There's no need for that. What are friends for? Besides, you waking up is more than enough."

As Caroline was watching the interaction between the two friends, she smiled and remembered Giovanni's teasing about them being a couple. However seeing Ash, rather than a boyfriend who was concerned about his girlfriend, his worry for May looked more like how a husband was worried about his wife. She wondered if these two would be married in the future.

May noticed that her bladder was about to leak and attempted to walk off the bed, but struggled and failed due to her physical condition. Seeing this, Ash slid both his arms under May's back and lifted them so that she was in a sitting position. Then, he took one of his arms off her back and slid it under her legs instead before turning her so that her feet were touching the floor. After that, he gave a gentle push on May's back while still holding her legs to help her stand up. Finally, he put her right arm on his right shoulder and his left arm under her left shoulder so that he could support her while walking. They walked slowly, but surely to the bathroom. Seeing this, Caroline doubted that they were only friends. Ash had showed no signs of annoyance at all, he was genuinely happy that he could help May while May was smiling, glad that Ash was there to help her. When May's stomach growled, Ash chuckled before putting her back on the bed and asking what she would like to eat. Ash went to the cafeteria to buy the food. He returned with two bowls of porridge and gave one of them to May. She tried to hold the spoon firmly but she was unable to do it. Seeing that May was unable to feed herself, Ash put his bowl aside and slowly took her porridge and spoon from her before putting the spoon in front of her mouth. She was frustrated that she was unable to do it herself but was delighted that Ash was the one feeding her instead. She loved the feeling, the warmth that was radiating from him. She felt so comfortable, being under the care of Ash, her crush.

When May's porridge was empty he took a warm cup of tea and placed it in front of May's mouth before asking her to open it slightly. He then gently tilted the cup so the tea was slowly entering her mouth. The warmth of the tea reflected Ash's feelings and emotions towards May. Blush formed on May's face from this act of affection and compassion. However, Ash interpreted this the wrong way.

"May, what's wrong? Is the tea too hot?"

"No, no, no!" May rapidly shook her head in denial. "There's nothing wrong."

When May was finished with her breakfast, Ash was about to enjoy his porridge but he thought May could be bored with watching him eating so he took the remote, flicking through channels and asking her if she would like to watch any of them. When they settled down on a channel, May was happily watching it while Ash was eating his porridge. He ate it at an average pace, still not his usual pace, but better than yesterday. After that, he watched the programme with May. It wasn't exactly his favourite, but he was happy at the sight of May's childlike expression while she was watching.

The day was almost entirely spent in the room, with half an hour spent by Ash walking around the hospital while supporting May's body. They were having a conversation, with Ash refraining from making jokes to make sure May doesn't overwork her body from laughter. While Ash was enjoying his time with May as a friend, he hasn't forgotten that May was ill and he constantly placed his palm on her forehead to check her condition. Then, his phone suddenly rang. He checked the phone to see who was calling then answered the call.

"Hello mum!"

"Ash! You made me worry a lot. You don't come home last night. Good thing dad told me everything. How is she?"

"She's still weak but at least she's awake. In fact, we're now having fun with each other!"

"That's good news. But now that she's well, it's time for you to go home."

Frown formed on Ash's face. He doesn't want to leave May when she's not well. "But mum, she's still ill!"

"Okay, just go home. We'll pick you up. If you really want to meet her, you can visit her again tomorrow."

As Ash closed the call, he was getting ready to tell May the bad news. _Will she take it well? She seems happy to be with me. I don't want to leave her, but I can't disobey mum either._

"Sorry May but I have to go home soon. Mum's making me. But don't worry, I'll come here again tomorrow then we can play together."

May felt disappointed that Ash had to leave. She would now feel lonely, even if only for a day. However, she does't want to cause Ash's parents any trouble either so she nodded. "It's okay. Just promise that you'll come here tomorrow." She offered Ash a little finger. Ash replied the gestured with his little finger and both fingers were tied with each other.

Ash decided to spend the last moment with May this day by watching the television together. Unlike the last programme, both Ash & May enjoyed this one. Ash's happiness doubled with the fact that May was also happy. Her smile has always been infectious.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. There was a knock on the door and two silhouettes could be seen behind the door. Caroline opened the door and the two people that were behind the door were Delia and Giovanni.

"That's enough time with your girlfriend. Time to go home, son!" This was the first time that Giovanni has teased Ash's relationship with May in front of her. The blush on May's face reappeared. Strangely, this time blush also appeared on Ash's face. Ash reluctantly walked away from the room but had enough time to wave May goodbye.

A sensation of loss could be felt by May as she was watching Ash slowly disappearing from her sight. She shrugged it off, however, as she knew that he will be coming back the very next day. She began reflecting on Ash's actions starting from when he carried her to the sickbay to him walking her to the bathroom. A strange feeling could be felt from her heart. She never felt it before, but it felt pleasant. Caroline sat next to her and began to speak.

"Ash. I've never seen a boy who would do so much. What do you think of him?"

"It's as if he was sent by Arceus himself from heaven. I want to repay him but I don't think I could, given how much he has given me."

"So how do you feel that the boy who did so much is your crush for about… 5 years?"

May froze for a moment, thinking. This was a difficult question so Caroline waited patiently for her answer. When May finally spoke, she answered in a firm tone.

"No. I don't think I have a crush on him anymore. I think… I think…" She paused for a while and took a deep breath. "I think… I'm in love with him."

* * *

**(A/N): **The next chapter will not be the confession. There will be one or two more chapters before it. So be patient.


	5. Double Date?

**(A/N): **The original plan was to have the group of 4 go to the mall and Ash would realise he was in love with May when he talked with his parents on their way home. When I finished the part at the mall, it was already 4500 words long (far above my usual 3000) so I decided to split the chapter into two parts. The conversation between Ash & his parents will be in the next chapter.

With Gary & Dawn there's bound to be some CavalierShipping moments. There's also a small PalletShipping scene in this chapter.

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Chapter 5: Double Date?

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**Ages**

Ash: 14

May: 13

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RIIIIIIIIIING!

The bell had just rang, signaling that the day had ended. The fact that the students were teenagers didn't stop them from the childish behaviour of rushing out of the class. Naturally, there are some exceptions, take Ash for example. After a day filled with 2 exams and a little dose of running – to be more precise – a 30-minute run, he simply lacked the energy to storm out the room. While sighing out of exhaustion, he slowly walked to his locker and stored his books. He walked down the stairs and the hallway with a pace that is often attributed to Slowpokes. He was making a plan to spend the rest of the day as he walked out of the school building. A plan that involves laying on his bed and snoozing for over half a day. When he saw the spiky brown hair of a boy he knew very well, grinning and waving at him, the plan was effectively thrown down the sink.

"Ashy-boooooy!" He yelled in a loud voice and a squealing tone, akin to how teenage girls squeal at the sight of their favourite celebrities, their object of worship. Ash hated it when everyone could hear his nickname. He was always subjected to teasing by his fellow classmates, though the intention was more accurately described as playful rather than hurtful. Nevertheless, it still annoyed him to no end.

"What do you want?" He replied with an Ursaring-esque growl out of frustration. He had occasionally wished to Jirachi that Gary would grow up and call him by his given name. Unfortunately, there are no signs that the wish would ever be granted. He should've known better than to expect his wish to be granted since it was said that Jirachi was only awake once every thousand years. What's the chance that Jirachi was now awake?

"Whoa! Slow down! Want to go to the mall? Just the 4 of us."

Ash's suspicions were proved to be correct. Today will be a restless day, from morning to night. Gary haven't mentioned the two other names but Ash had a good idea who they were. It was bad news when those two go to the mall together, especially the blue-haired girl. It made him wonder how her parents still have money to spend on necessities. He was terrified as he pictured the image of her parents seeing her at the front door as she was done with her resources procurement with bags after bags of clothes and accessories. The wide eyes, the open mouths, the silence that ensues, he simply couldn't fathom how none of her parents have done anything with this madness. The habits of the other girl, the brunette, could be said to be mild. In this case, mild was defined to be at least 5 bags of clothing and things they call lip gloss, mascara, eyeliner, and more, not that he have any clue what they are and what they are for. As he remembered the strange items that was collectively called make up, he tried to relate them to his observation that females spent hours dressing up. He had absolutely no idea how hours could be spent in front of the mirror. His idea of dressing up is choosing a shirt and a pair of jeans, wearing them then combing his hair. 5 minutes was all it takes, nice and simple. He had learnt the differences between male and female, anatomy-wise, but it seems like there's still much more to learn about in other aspects. To rub salt to the wounds, they had to bring the males with them. The poor males had to endure hours of boredom looking at the ceilings, wishing for help to take them out of the hell they were in right now, while the females were "hunting". One can take a short glance at their eyes and it is enough to tell how they're feeling. The spark, it was as if they were pirates hunting for treasures. If boredom isn't enough, then the males had to bring ALL the bags the females had bought. It was a humongous pile. The pile must've weighed more than a full-grown Wailord. It's no coincidence that after a day of shopping, the males felt a stinging pain on their backs and shoulders. Oh, the pain, the agony! He couldn't help but ask himself a question, what was it that makes shopping attractive to females?

He interrupted his own train of thoughts with a small dash of hope. Hope that it wasn't those two shopping-crazed girls. Perhaps that quiet, purple haired boy? Perhaps the blonde, hyperactive boy? _Please let it be them. I want to have a relaxing day after the things I went through today_. "Who are those two?" he asked while hoping he will get the reply he wanted.

"Who else? Dawn and…" Gary grinned and snickered evilly. "Your girlfriend!"

_Not again!_ Both Giovanni and Gary kept calling May his girlfriend which was of course false. The similarities between them was uncanny. _Are they father and son?_ _Because they act like one_. Ash tried to yell at Gary but something has been holding him back. Ash felt a weird sensation but he didn't know what it is. It felt somehow warm. The warm feeling caused his cheek to turn red, which didn't went unnoticed by Gary. Just as he was about to begin his second wave of teasing, two loud, high-pitched voice were heard nearby.

"Ash! Gary!" The two girls ran towards said boys and hugged them, with Dawn running towards Gary and May running towards Ash. Although slightly surprised by the sudden assault, Gary could still stand up as it was only slightly harder than a regular friendly hug. However, the same couldn't be said about Ash. He was lying on the ground with his body squishing his bag while a pair of soft and delicate arms was placed around his torso and a head was on his chest. Ash was about to slowly put May's arms away from his chest but the warm and strange feeling reappeared. He was somehow enjoying it so he let her cuddle him. She was smiling widely, both parties were embracing this moment. The moment unfortunately ended when two voices interrupted it.

"Err… I guess that's why they have a room for lovebirds." Gary muttered as he was blushing red in embarrassment from the rather inappropriate act from his two friends.

"Oh my Arceus! You two are so cute! I should've taken a photo." Dawn squealed while putting both of her fists near each other and made several small jumps.

May quickly walked off Ash and turned her head away from him as she realised she was in public. She made a mental note to just give Ash a regular hug when they were in open space but made sure to cuddle Ash very tightly when they're in their house.

"Okay, lovey-dovey time is over so why don't we head to the mall now?" Dawn suggested.

Littleroot Town was only a small town so it doesn't have any shopping malls. The nearest mall was located in Petalburg City so they headed towards the bus stop. The 4 of them each sent a text message to their parents about their location and their activities so they wouldn't be worried. When they got on the bus, they each paid the bus driver the fee and took a seat at the middle of the bus. There were 4 empty seats at the row so Gary and Ash sat on one side of the aisle while Dawn & May sat on the other side. The bus was full as Petalburg City was a popular destination for nearby residents. There were only 1 or 2 empty seats other than the 4 they were now occupying.

During the trip to Petalburg City, the girls were happily chatting and gossiping like the teenage girls they are and they occasionally spoke too loud, which fortunately, Gary reminded. Gary had less luck than the girls, he was extremely bored. He would normally talk about sports with Ash and tease him but Ash was sound asleep, with a slight snore. Once, his body shifted which caused his head to rest on Gary's shoulder, creating a rather awkward situation. A little smile could be seen on Ash's face as he was probably dreaming about a giant feast. Gary was sweating nervously as he was imagining what people will misunderstand if they saw him with Ash in this position. As if by luck, Dawn saw it.

"You two look perfect for each other!" Dawn squealed with a lower voice than usual as she was in a bus. She had a smile on her face but then faded. She shed a small amount of tears and sobbed while wiping her eyes "But why did you two cheat on us? What's more, it's with each other! I thought you boys were just friends."

Gary felt as he was hit by a thunderbolt. The shock was unimaginable. His eyes widen while staring at Dawn. "Say what? I don't swing _that way_! And what do you mean cheating? None of us are together… although I'm not sure about those two."

Dawn wiped her tears and started chuckling. "Calm down, Gar-O! It's just a little joke. No harm, no foul."

"Humph. People would get it the wrong way."

Ash was somehow still asleep, he seemed to be very exhausted from the long day, which was long from over. May wanted to talk with Dawn again so she decided to halt the small argument between her two friends. "Could you stop arguing? You remind me of a couple."

Both Gary & Dawn turned their heads towards May, stretched their arms while opening their palms and rapidly waving them. "We're not a couple!". After that she could hear them mutter _yet_ quietly but she was not sure if she had really heard that or it was only her imagination.

May took another gaze at the sleeping Ash. The tiny amount of drool at the side of his lips, the small yet charming smile, the peaceful look, it just seemed very cute to her. She giggled after comparing his sleeping face to that of a baby's.

The girls resumed their conversation, with Gary joining them this time. With Gary as a part of a conversation, it became less about female-related things and more to general things such as homework and jokes. Meanwhile, Ash's eyes were still closed when his head suddenly left Gary's shoulder and was now on his lap, creating an awkward situation of a higher level than the previous one. Dawn & May were too focused on their conversation to see Ash and when they talked to Gary they made eye contact with him so they didn't notice his legs, which was fortunate for him.

The bus reached the outskirts of Petalburg City and May decided to wake Ash up so there will be no problems when they arrived at the bus stop. However, with May next to the window, it's a difficult task so she turned to Gary.

"Gary can you wake him up?"

Gary nodded but he had no idea how to wake Ash up. How will he react when he woke up to find his head on a boy's lap. He considered lifting his head until he was straight up. Unfortunately, his head was rather heavy so it was a labour to do it. His next option is one he'd rather avoid but there are no other options left. He nudged Ash for several times until his voice were heard.

"Hmm… pizza." He mumbled as his eyes slowly opened. Rubbing his eyes, he found that his body from the head to the waist was positioned horizontally and he felt something warm and slightly rough against his head. He slightly turned his head towards his left and saw a black shirt. He thought in his mind who that person is. It couldn't possibly be May as she was wearing a red shirt and her pants were as smooth as silk. Dawn wore a black shirt but her skirt was ridiculously short that he should've felt a skin, which he doesn't. The only person left was Gary. He wore a black shirt and purple jeans, which explained the rough feeling. As he realised that he was on a boy's lap he jerked and was in a sitting position immediately.

"Why, why am I on his lap?" Ash exclaimed in surprise.

Gary was annoyed. It was Ash's own fault that he was on Gary's lap although he knew that Ash was unconscious when it happened. "Don't ask me. I'm not the one who was sleeping and _conveniently_ rest his head on someone's lap." He pointed a finger at Ash. "And. Because of you. I had to endure Dawn's teasing! You know what she said? That we look like a perfect couple."

Ash looked at Dawn and gave her a look which meant _Is that true?_ Dawn bobbed her head, continuing the trend of non-verbal communication. Ash looked at Gary and rubbed his head sheepishly. "Sorry."

Several minutes later, the bus arrived at the bus stop, which was 10 minutes away from the mall. One by one, they disembarked and they walked to the mall. The 4 friends were silent as they walked, which Gary disliked, so he started a conversation.

"So Mr. Harrison talked about jobs today. What do you think you want to be?"

Dawn was the first to reply, and in an excited manner, with the high-pitched voice. "I want to be a fashion designer just like mum!"

Ash's response was considerably calmer than Dawn's. "Probably working at the daycare centre. It's fun playing with little kids."

May was undecided on her future and her eyes were looking at the ground. "I-I don't know."

Ash simply placed one of his palms on May's shoulders which caused her face to look up. She saw Ash's entrancing and genial smile. "It's okay. Just think about what your talents are and what you enjoy doing. The answer should come by itself. I'm sure a wonderful person like you would be successful."

May was touched by Ash's beautiful words. "Thank you, Ash."

"Don't mention it. That's what friends are for!" He stated in a calm voice but the warm feeling appeared again. Ash was curious. He wanted to know what is the source, not realising that the answer was right in front of him. Ash noticed that Gary hasn't given his answer yet so he inquired, "Hey, you haven't given us your answer yet. What's your dream job?"

Gary shot the three a confident look. He was certain about his choice. "Of course a researcher! Grandpa have been teaching me a lot. As for the field, probably Biology. There's so much to learn about animals and nature."

The group of four continued walking while chatting with each other, to Gary's pleasure. The sun was starting to set, although there's still about an hour before the sky will be completely dark. There's about 4 hours to spend in the mall. When they entered the main gate, they were confused on what to do first. The number of choices was simply huge. Arcades, jewelries, movies, and the list go on and on. As they stopped, Ash made a suggestion.

"Why don't we go to the movies?" The others agreed and they headed towards the cinema. Gary was assigned to buy the tickets although they didn't specify him on which movie, he assumed he could choose whichever movie he wants. He looked around the cinema for movie posters before making his decision. After making the decision, he went to the cashier and purchased 4 tickets before returning to his friends and handing them a ticket each. Luck was on their side this time, the movie will start in 15 minutes so they didn't have to wait a long time. They bought some refreshments and entered the movie theatre. They got the seat at the top and at the edge, which was convenient as the viewing angle was perfect and there were only 4 seats between the wall and the aisle, so there won't be other people near them. Gary sat next to the wall and May sat next to the aisle with Ash & Dawn between them.

The movie was a horror movie. It was horrifying for most people. The amount of blood and gore was staggering! Occasionally the blood filled the whole screen. This kind of movie shouldn't be appropriate for 14-year-olds and they shouldn't be expected although with Gary buying the tickets, nothing less should be expected. Both Gary & May were yelling, although for entirely different reasons. Gary was yelling in excitement, the thrill and suspense of the movie resulted in a surge of adrenaline. May was completely terrified by the movie. She was shivering so she snuggled with Ash, hoping for comfort. Her eyes were away from the large white screen and instead on his chest. The warmth radiating from Ash succeeded in soothing May but still she wouldn't look at the movie, but stayed near her source of comfort. Ash was enjoying this moment, but he didn't understand why. Contrary two the two brunettes, Ash & Dawn were rather calm. Dawn enjoyed the movie, though to a lesser extent than Gary while horror movies weren't Ash's favourite kind of movies, but he wouldn't mind watching them once in a while. To help tone down May's fear, Ash offered her his drink. She had forgotten to buy a drink so he generously shared his drink with her. The theatre was rather dark so May couldn't see his face clearly but there were barely enough light to see a huge smile on his face.

The movie lasted for 2-and-a-half hours, a relatively long time for a movie. The most terrifying 150 minutes of May's life. Thankfully, someone was there for her. Furthermore, it's her love. However a frown soon appeared on her face. Does she have the courage to tell him? Will he reciprocate the feelings? What if he doesn't? 9 years of friendship tarnished by a single sentence. She doesn't want to risk it. Still, keeping it inside her heart was hurting it little by little. She was in a dilemma.

Meanwhile, Ash was less than pleased with the choice of movie made by Gary. "Horror movie? Seriously, Gary! I don't mind watching it. So does Dawn. But look at May!" She was still shivering from the terror the movie instilled on her. The vibrations were evident from her whole body. Torso, arms, legs, everything! She looked as if she saw her parents brutally murdered before her very eyes. He gently hugged May and whispered, "It's okay May. It's over. I told Gary not to do things like that again." He tenderly kissed May's forehead. As his lips left her forehead he thought to himself why he did that. There was an urge to do it and his instincts told him to do it but he had no clue where the urge came from. All he knows was that he liked it. The smooth, white skin of hers. Her slick, brown hair that emitted a pleasant and tranquilising scent. May's cheek went red from his kiss but still, she wasn't sure if the kiss meant Ash loved her back or was it just a friendly gesture. Sure, friends don't kiss each other's foreheads but with Ash and his compassionate nature, he would do things like that as a friend.

Ash checked the time and found out that they only have over an hour left and that it is time for dinner. He motioned his three friends to head to the food court, which they complied. Gary & Dawn were walking regularly, although sometimes Dawn invaded Gary's personal space, while May's head was still pressing against Ash's chest which makes walking slightly trickier. Ash already assured May that nothing will happen but knew that it takes time for fear to dissipate so he let her stay in the position. As they walked with May glued to Ash, bystanders couldn't help but chuckle and mutter phrases such as _Young love _and _What a cute couple_. Both Ash & May couldn't hear it but Gary & Dawn could while giggling, agreeing to the bystanders.

When they arrived at the food court, Ash found a table and immediately sat on one of the seats. Seeing Ash with a table, Gary & Dawn rushed off to one of the many restaurants while May stayed with Ash, finally getting a moment alone - even if only brief – with her love.

Still on his seat, Ash turned his head from left to right as he explored the wide varieties of restaurants available so he will waste no time when Gary & Dawn arrived. After several minutes, he made his choice. He looked to his right and saw May. He smacked his forehead. How could he forget about her when she's right next to him? He gently asked her, "May, what do you want to eat?"

"I would want to eat the noodle soup over there." She replied as she pointed at one of the restaurants.

_How coincidental!_ His choice was exactly the same as hers. This saves time when it's his turn as he only have to pay one restaurant a visit. He briefly remembered the horrible experience May had with the movies. Even if it's not his fault, he still felt the need to make amends for it. He thought for a moment before getting a perfect idea.

"May, sorry for what Gary did to you. Do you want to go the movies again next week? There's this new family movie and I'm sure you'll like it. It'll be just the two of us, no Gary to disturb us." The thought of him being alone with May ignited the strange sensation that has been plaguing him multiple times this day. Still, he couldn't deduce its source.

May was slightly surprised at the connotations his words include. He was asking her on a date. However, she was sure that it was not his intention. She was sure he had no idea the meaning behind his words. For him, it's just two friends watching a movie together. However, it's a chance for her to be alone with Ash for a longer time than now. "Sure! I'd be happy too." She exclaimed with a happy and cheerful tone.

Soon, Gary & Dawn arrived with their meals and Ash left his seat while May stayed at her seat. When Ash left her sight, she noticed that she hasn't given Ash money to pay for her food. Having known Ash for 9 years, she knew what Ash would do, he would pay for her food and just forget about it. If she tried to pay him back, he would've said that it's what friends do. This has happened several times before. He would pay for her and using the friends excuse to refuse the money. He has also never asked for anything in return. While May was delighted with his attitude, it also hurts her even more if he doesn't reciprocate her feelings.

Ash arrived at the table several minutes later with several bowls. How was he able to carry that much alone was a mystery. Not often did May see a person who carried two full trays. She counted the number of bowls. One, two… three? Three bowls? One was for her and one was for him. So who was the other one for? After a few seconds of thought, she remembered. Never underestimate Ash's appetite.

As Ash grew older, he has learnt more about manners and etiquettes, including table manners. However, it does not stop him from eating his food quickly, though the pace was more reasonable than the pace he used to had as a little boy. His bowl was halfway empty when he felt a vibration in one of his pockets. He took his phone and checked for the caller's identity. When he saw his father's photo on the screen, he answered the phone.

"Hey dad!"

"Hey son! How's the double date?"

Ash sighed. He should've expected that his father would always tease him. "It's not a date. We're just watching a movie together and now we're having dinner. So why did you call?"

"Oh, just saying that we will pick you up so you don't have to use the bus home. We'll be there in about 20 minutes."

"Ok, thank you dad." Ash then disconnected the call. He turned to his friends and apologetically said, "Sorry guys, my parents will be picking me up soon. I guess that's it."

"No need to apologise. It's not like this is the last day we'll be able to do this." Dawn assured him.

As Dawn was talking to Ash, May received a text message. It was from her parents, she will also be picked up at the mall just like Ash. "Ehehehe. Looks like mum and dad are also picking me up. What about you two?"

"Grandpa said he was busy doing some paperwork with his assistant and Dawn's mum will be home late so I guess we'll be using the bus home."

Ash was the last to finish his food as he ate twice the regular amount. They left the food court and walked towards the main gate while waiting for the parents to show up. They spent the last minutes of being together by talking about school-related things. Gary mentioned about the upcoming science project and suggested for the other three to join him as a group. May was excited about the weeklong holiday that's not far away. She considered the idea of spending time with the three again. Dawn talked about the latest fashion trends, something the boys didn't understand.

Soon Ash could see his car approaching and he waved goodbye to his friends before getting to his car. As Ash closed the door he thought about the activities he did at the mall. _Wait, we didn't do any shopping today. That's great!_

Now that there were more females than males, and that Gary was the only male, the females started talking about things Gary couldn't understand. Gary was annoyed, not by the fact that he felt left out, but because the topics irritated him. After a while, May's car arrived and she hopped on the car but not before saying goodbye to her friends. With May & Ash gone, Dawn & Gary headed to the bus stop and patiently waited for their bus to arrive. When it did arrive they paid the fare and took the seat on the last row of the bus. Both of them had depleted their energies and were asleep no more than a minute after the bus departed the bus stop.

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**(A/N): **I plan to end this fic when Ash married May. That's why I said it's about 10 chapters long. Then I decided to extend it to include their life as a family so this fic will be extended to about 15 chapters.


	6. Trip Home

**(A/N): **This chapter is different from the others in terms of format. It is very dialogue heavy, probably the heaviest of all chapters I will ever write, as the main point is the conversation between the teenagers and their parents. Also, this chapter has 2 parts that run in parallel. Since this was planned to be a part of chapter 5, there is no time skip between chapter 5 and this chapter. The next time this happens is between chapters 11 & 12.

Caroline & Giovanni will be slightly OOC during this chapter. They are adults, they know when to tone down their behaviour. The matters May & Ash were discussing are serious, so Giovanni won't tease Ash and Caroline won't be hyperactive. They will revert to their usual characters in the future, when things are not as serious, though.

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Chapter 6: Trip Home

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**Ages**

Ash: 14

May: 13

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Ash waved goodbye to his friends and entered the car. He sat on the middle row as both of his parents were occupying the front row. The car provided serenity, the warm air that circulated around the car was a contrast to the cold air of the night. The smooth and soft seat served to complement the tranquilising air. It was soothing, it was just what the doctor ordered after a very long and labourious day. Furthermore, he was alone in the middle row, which allowed him to lift his legs and place it against the door so that he was in a sleeping position. The atmosphere was further amplified by the amiable smile his mother showed him. His father also exhibited a similar smile, although not as visible, as he was driving. They drove in silence, as both Giovanni & Delia knew how exhausted he was. They would ask him about the day tomorrow when he was vitalised.

As the mall and his friends were gradually diminishing and then disappearing completely from his sight, he slowly threw his bag to the other side and sighed in exhaustion while relishing the car's hospitality. Gazing at the ceiling, he reflected on the events that happened today. Especially the events at the mall. The baffling feelings he get when he's around May. The warm, comforting feeling. He already asked himself multiple times during the day, yet he still asked as of now, as he has no answers yet.

It seemed like he won't get the answers by himself so he thought about the people that could help him. _Gary?_ No, once he told him that it was related to May, he would sure tease him relentlessly, just like a certain father. _May? _This feeling was related to her, it would simply feel awkward to discuss it with her. _Dawn? _Something just doesn't seem right. That left him with two other options, his parents. Fortunately, they were both in front of him now. This feeling has been bugging him for some time, and he was aching for the answer. Glancing at his father, he would have to withstand his antics but soon found relief when he looked the other way and saw his mother, as she could definitely tone down his father's behaviour. Both of them were adults, he was sure that they would have experienced or understood what he was feeling.

Getting up from his comfortable sleeping position and sitting as he was supposed to, he broke the silence. "Dad, mum?"

"Yes, Ash?" They replied simultaneously as Delia turned her head in Ash's direction while Giovanni kept his head straight as he was driving.

"I need some help." Giovanni heard the tone used by Ash and he had an idea on what Ash might say next. He silently chuckled to himself. He would normally grin at Ash and perform his usual routine, but with Delia next to him, that was not a possibility. Delia still has no idea, but offered him her full attention as she heard his voice. It wasn't the voice of a person casually needing help. It was the voice of a pleading person.

"Homework?" Delia inquired. It was a logical reasoning based on the fact that there will be school tomorrow. While she noted that it was rare for Ash to ask his parents for help in schoolwork, as he was a bright child, he was still a child. He would require assistance every once in a while.

"Not exactly. This has nothing to do with schoolwork." Delia was surprised by his remarks. What would Ash need help outside of schoolwork? Thinking, an idea pops in her mind.

Taking a deep breath, she spoke, "Ash, does it have anything to do with your friends? Did they hurt you?"

Noticing his mother's concerned look he responded, "No. No. No." He shook his head and waved his palms to emphasise his denial. "Well yes, it does involve my friends – to be precise – one, but it's not because they hurt me."

"So what is it?"

"Well, there were these strange feelings that has been haunting me and I don't know why." He paused for a moment before resuming. "All I know is that the feeling is related to May. I only get it when I'm around her."

"This feeling happens only when you're around her, right?" Giovanni asked Ash, which earned him a nod from his son. "Then tell me what you guys did there."

"OK, first it was at the school before we went to the bus stop. She hugged me _her way_ as always. When I was lying on the floor, her arms were around my waist. I was about to gently put her arms away from me and this was when the feelings appeared. It felt warm, like her arms. It felt right, it felt comfortable, so I just let it be until Gary separated us."

"Continue, son"

"After arriving, we walked to the mall when Gary started asking us about our dream jobs. May was the only one who didn't make her choice yet. I comforted her and she thanked me sweetly and smiled at me. That's when the exact feeling reappeared. For some strange reason, I couldn't take my eyes off that smile."

"Is that all?"

"No. Gary was just being Gary so he made us watch a horror movie. She was very scared and she put her head on my chest, away from the screen. She was like for the whole movie. Her head felt soft and warm. I thought it was going to be annoying, but it's not. In fact, I wanted it to last longer. After it ended, she still looked traumatised so I told her that it will be fine, it was just a movie. Then, I hugged and kissed her on the forehead. That's where I'm confused. I don't know where the urge came from, it just appeared out of the blue. It just felt nice."

Giovanni smiled to himself, it was obvious what the feelings Ash had been experiencing was while Delia was starting to get an idea on it. Now the problem was to convince Ash to accept the answer, as he would probably deny it, not that it was he was at fault. Despite being academically talented, he wasn't an expert when it comes to romance. He was not the person who would go crazy about females. He never talked about them with his father, other than his close friends May & Dawn. He had seen Ash interacting with other females in school, he acted polite while smiling, but that was all there was to it. Gary, Ash and the two girls shared a close relationship, they often visited each other's houses. Giovanni had seen the interactions between Ash & Dawn. They often laughed with, and occasionally, at each other. The bond they shared was definitely closer than friendship, but he was sure that their relationship was akin to siblings. Since none of the four have siblings, this relationship was something they embraced.

"Son, I know what you're feeling but you have to promise me you'll keep calm because I'm sure you won't believe the answer." Ash was worn out so he nodded instead of giving a verbal response. Giovanni let out a sigh before continuing. "You see, from the symptoms you told us there was only one answer. May… you… you're in love with her."

Ash's eyes widen, his mouth agape. His shoulders jerked, his body jumped, causing his head to nearly collide with the ceiling. The shock caused by his father's words was comparable to those caused by Zekrom, if not worse. It couldn't be! There was no way that he would think that way of her. Unthinkable! Impossible!

Seeing Ash's reactions, Delia sighed. "Ash, this is why your father told you to keep calm. We knew that this will happen. Your look was a look of utter disbelief, we can understand."

Giovanni added, "It can't be helped, you've never experienced this before and this is a rather sensitive topic, but listen to us. We'll tell you how we know that you're in love with her." Opting to stay silent, he gave no response, but his parents knew that it meant that they were allowed to speak. "First, when she hugged you and you tried to put her arms away, but something stopped you. You said it felt warm, it felt comfortable. You were clearly enjoying it. That is a sign."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry son, I've been through this once. I was also about your age that time. Your mother liked to hug me a lot, though it was a soft one, though not the Ursaring hug May liked to give to you. What I felt was exactly like what you described. I suspected that I was falling for her but I was not sure so I talked with my parents like this. Guess what? My suspicions were correct."

"But that's you! This is me." Ash exclaimed, still in disbelief that he would love May.

"You think it was only me? My friends and I had a chat about being love-struck and their description was just like yours and mine. Believe me, son, you are completely heads over heels for her."

"B-but it was just a hug. Maybe it was a coincidence."

"When she thanked you, it appeared again. You mentioned her sweet voice, smile and that your eyes were fixed on them. That only happens when you're in love, son."

"Still! Coincidences could happen twice."

"At the movies, she buried her head on your chest. You claimed that you liked it. Don't be so stubborn son, listen to your heart."

"The theatre was rather cold that time, maybe I liked it because it was a source of warmth."

"So what about after the movie? Where you kissed her on the forehead. Explain that."

Ash's face flushed, every single part of his face turned red. Fortunately, it was dark and none of his parents were looking at him so he got away with it. Then, a hand touched his cheek, it was his mother's. His cheek was very warm, it could be mistaken for a fever, but she knew the real cause.

"I-I-I d-don't k-know…" Ash was stuttering, his response was only barely intelligible.

"See, son. The only time you would kiss someone like that is when you love that person."

Ash still refused to believe his parents but for a moment he cast his emotions aside and let his brain work. His parents are older, therefore wiser. He should start trusting his parents. They insisted that he was in love with her. But was he?

"How can you tell it was love? How do you know it's not friendship?" Ash was confused now. His brain was in turmoil. He sincerely hoped that by the end of the talk he would be certain of the feelings he had towards May.

Delia flashed Ash a smile. "You and Dawn are friends, close friends, right? Tell me what you think about her."

"Well, she's funny. She was nice most of the time, but sometimes she can get very annoying. Especially when she spends a lot of time with her hair. It irritated Gary and me a lot. But the worst was when she goes shopping. It was pure hell. I don't want to talk about it."

"Now compare her with May."

"Umm… May was always kind to me. We have a lot in common. Like how much we could eat. There's so much I don't think I could tell them all."

Giovanni was satisfied. Ash had unknowingly confessed. The only thing he needs to do was to get Ash to realise his confession. With Ash's stubbornness, it was not going to be an easy job.

"Son, you did realise that you treated the two girls differently?" Ash raised his eyebrows. Did he? "You & Dawn were certainly closer than normal friends, even best friends. The way she jokes with you, the way she annoys you, it's just like siblings. I know how it feels. When I was still a kid, your Aunt Jane keeps nagging me. But you & May. It's not like siblings. I don't feel that way towards Aunt Jane but I do feel that way towards your mother."

"That's all we have to say. Now just think about what we said. Take your time, no need to rush. We helped you as much as we could but the answer is in your heart. Only you can answer it, not us."

Ash paused to absorb his parents' words and think again. His parents were right, he treated May & Dawn differently. He was sure he didn't love Dawn. Who could stand a girl who spends at least an hour perfecting her hair and throws a tantrum when she was interrupted? However, he still wasn't sure if he loves May or not.

He thought about May. She was a representation of Mother Nature and her beauty, parts of her perfectly symbolised parts of the world. The brown hair that mirrors the fertile ground, the blue, ocean-like eyes, and her white skin that reminds him of the sky. Of course there was more to her than that. The angelic voice of hers that always seem to calm him down and the cheerful, warm smile that left him entranced. He came to a realization. This was the first time he has ever thought that way about a girl. The only girl that was close to him other than May was Dawn. When he thought of Dawn, the thoughts that filled his mind was how annoying she was. How noisy she was, how random her conversations were. As for the other girls, he only saw them as fellow classmates. May was the only girl whose features were examined by him. _Is this what it feels to fall in love?_

The car suddenly stopped, which startled Ash. He looked towards a window and saw a familiar sight, his house. He noticed that the trip didn't felt as long as it usually was but realised that the time was consumed by his conversation and reflection. He exited the car and the cold breeze caused him to shiver, he was lightly clothed, so he crossed his arms and placed it in front of his chest. When Giovanni opened the door, Delia rushed to the heater and switched it on. It was a relief for Ash, he could enjoy the luxury of warm air again. He went to his room and tossed his bag to his desk. On his bed, with both his hands behind his head and eyes blankly looking at the ceiling, he gave one final thought. _They were right! I am in love with her._

May was in her car while she was deep in her thoughts. Her eyes were absent-mindedly gazing at the night sky with the stars shining brightly as a result of the clear weather. She was thinking about her love and what to do. She was confused. Should she confess or not? She spent the next 5 minutes in the alternating thoughts of _confess _and _confess not_. The dilemma was tiring her both physically and mentally. She decided she has had enough. She needs assistance, but from who? She immediately ruled out the males, as only females would understand her. The first person that came into her mind was Dawn. She considered the effects of talking about it with her. She would most likely squeal and offered little help, if any, so she deduced that Dawn would not be a good choice. That left her with one final option, her mother. She wasn't sure if her mother could help but she's the best chance, and any chance is better than no chance at all.

"Mum, can you help me?"

"What kind of help, sweetie?" May hesitated to answer and when she tried to answer, she stuttered instead. That is enough information for Caroline to deduce the answer, however. "It's about Ash, isn't it?"

"Keeping it for a year has been hurting my heart. I want to tell him but I don't know how he feels. If I told him and my feelings were not reciprocated, then that would break our friendship and that breaks my heart too. Either way I lose. What should I do, mum?" Her voice was shaking, a drop of tear could be found on the side of her eyes.

Caroline asked Norman to move the car to the road shoulder then stop, which he obeyed. When the car stopped Caroline exited the car and reentered the car a few seconds later, but at the middle row, instead of the front row she was initially in. She sat next to May and gestured Norman to continue driving.

Still shedding tears, May buried her head on her mother's chest. Caroline gently rubbed her daughter's hair, providing comfort. "Calm down, sweetie. Don't cry. Tell me what he did today."

Wiping her tears away, she began to speak. "Not much. At school, I hugged him for a long time and he did nothing. After we got of the bus stop, Gary started talking about our future jobs. I have no idea about my dream job and Ash comforted me. When I thanked him, he said that it's what friends do and I need not thank him. We then went to the cinema and Gary chose a horror movie. It absolutely terrified me. I buried my head on his chest and he did nothing, although he did share his drink with me at one point. He then did something after the movie. To sooth me, he pecked me on the forehead."

May spoke for a relatively long time, it took Caroline a while to process the whole speech. When she was done, she patted her daughter on the shoulders slowly. "Do you know why he did nothing?" May shook her head. "It was because he was enjoying it. He was focused on what you are doing to him he can't speak."

"I still don't know if he was enjoying it because he likes me that way or it was because we were friends."

"So why did he kiss your forehead? I've never seen friends do that."

"Yes, normal people wouldn't do that to their friends but this is Ash we're talking about. How could he be considered normal? He opted to not make many friends but when he do, he puts them above himself."

Caroline was sure that Ash liked her daughter, though she was not sure whether he realised it. The objective was to assure May that Ash wouldn't let anything, even a confession, jeopardise their friendship. One obstacle to the objective was May's stubbornness. Having known Ash for almost a decade, she has picked on some of his traits. She was scanning her head for an idea, and then a perfect idea popped up.

"Sweetie, tell me. How does Ash act around Dawn?"

"Both of them joked a lot with each other but they also annoy each other constantly. His eating habit wasn't something she appreciated, and he was not a supporter of the idea of spending a lot of time on decorating hairs."

"Now, do you & Ash annoy each other like that?"

May quickly denied her mother's remarks. Ash & her were never like that. "Quite the opposite. He was always patient with me. There are minor arguments between us every once in a while, but we agree most of the time."

"Do you see what I mean? Ash & Dawn are just friends, although from their interactions I would say they were closer to siblings. But you & Ash? None of them. Your relationship with him is much closer than that."

"But should I tell him?"

"Of course you should. The feelings had been locked in your heart. Like a prisoner, yearning for freedom in the form of Ash. You should tell him, only then the pain will be gone."

"But what if he doesn't return my feelings. He would feel awkward with me, so he distanced himself from me and that would mark the end of our friendship. I don't want that to happen, mum! The pain caused by that would be unbearable!" May was almost yelling at this point. Caroline placed her index finger in front of her lips, gesturing May to calm down.

"Think about it. Has Ash ever hurt you?"

"No. He does the complete opposite. When I fell down, he was always there to lift me up."

"See! And you said earlier, he values friendship too much to do what he did in your scenario. He wouldn't want to break it. Even if he might not return the feeling, we cannot do anything about that, he would probably forget about it and still be friends with you. If you want to have an image of his feelings for you, maybe you could try dropping hints and observe his reaction."

"But I just did that, to no avail!"

"I don't know how he feels but I have a good idea on it. I'm sure he's actually confused right now from your hints. After all, boys are not experts at these. He would probably discuss it with his parents."

"What if he doesn't like me that way?"

"Like I said earlier, we couldn't change that but from your descriptions, he does like you. If you did the things you had done to any other people, they would be uncomfortable, even Gary, a boy you're also close with. But Ash, he was embracing it." Caroline let out a sigh, how would she ever convince her to tell him? "If you mustered the courage to tell him, find somewhere private to minimise embarrassment. That's all I can do to help you. From now on, it depends on you."

May was exhausted and she rested her head on Caroline's lap with a hand tenderly rubbing her head. This triggered the memory of her doing the exact same activity when she was 4. A flashback of the first day of school played in her mind. The day when she had first met Ash. Flashbacks after flashbacks filled her thoughts. The memory when she played with him at the park, the memory when she was ill, and much more. She remembered the Ash back then and now. Apart from maturing due to age, he was still the same Ash. The brown eyes that were filled with compassion, the warm smile, his cheerful character, and many things could be said about him. This caused a surge of determination in May, as reflected by the flares in her eyes. She would find a perfect time and spot, she would tell him, and hoped that he would reciprocate her feelings. The day has taken its toll on her and she soon fell asleep. There was about half an hour left until the car arrived at her home so Caroline didn't wake her up. She softly whispered into her daughter's ear, "May, Ash is in love with you. It's very obvious. Let's just hope that he will realise it and have the courage to tell you."

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**(A/N): **The confession will be in the next chapter, so it will be the last chapter for them as only friends.


	7. Family of Four - The Guest

**(A/N): **I said in the last chapter that this chapter will contain the confession. I didn't count on it being so detailed so I split it into two or three parts since in the story, it lasted for three days, and the first day alone is over 5000 words. Chapter 7, along with 8 and maybe 9 is unique like chapter one, it could be a standalone story, though for this, it won't be a one-shot. I considered waiting until I finished writing about all 3 days but it will mean that there will be no updates this week and the total length of chapter 7 would be 10000-12000 words.**  
**

Toughest and longest chapter I've ever wrote. Took me 4 days and a total of around 18 hours, though I think I was still too lazy.

* * *

Chapter 7: Family of Four - The Guest

* * *

**Ages**

Ash: 15

May: 14

* * *

Lunchtime was always a riot, whether it was in a primary school or high school was irrelevant. Many students were unfamiliar with the concept of calming down and enjoying the meal, particularly the females, with their fondness for hearsay. Teachers have simply given up hope on reducing the noise, since it was an impossible task. The fact that the weekend was near caused the noise to be louder than usual.

Dawn and May were an example of this observation. When acquaintance between two females were sufficient for them to start producing the ear-splitting noise, which according to their terminologies, would be called 'having a conversation', what do they call the noise made by these two? They shared one of the closest bonds ever seen between two teenagers. The limitations of language were being tested as attempts were made to respond to the question.

Dawn and May were sitting on a table for 4. The table was full, the question was who occupied the other two seats? Unsurprisingly, it was the two males, Ash and Gary. Said bond between the two females were not only shared between the two of them, it was between the four of them! Both males were the only people capable of withstanding the euphemistically named conversation between the two females. Even then, the sheer volume of the voices shook their ears violently causing them to place their palms on their ears and squeezing it in an attempt to dampen the noise, to little success.

The conversation was interrupted, much to the relief of Ash & Gary, when May's phone rang. She quickly retrieved the phone from her pocket and answered it without checking the caller's identity. "Hello, who is this?"

The familiar voice of an adult woman was heard from the other side. "Hey, sweetie! I've got something to say. You see, Norman and I have something to do in Lilycove City and we'll be back by Sunday evening."

May's mouth moved but nothing came out. Contrary to her mouth when she was with Dawn. Was her mouth exhausted from being overused or was she surprised by her mother's word? When she was finally able to make a noise, her words were nearly incoherent. "Where am I staying then?"

"That's why I called you. Maybe you could stay with Dawn for the time being."

May looked at Dawn and Dawn understood what May meant even without the use of words and she shook her head. "Sorry May, but I'm going to Twinleaf Town tomorrow. I won't be here until next week. Why not you ask Ash?"

Red spots appeared on both sides of May's cheeks. "But…"

"But what? It's the only way left."

Having left with no other options, May turned to Ash and looked at the floor. She spoke in a very quiet voice, "Is it okay for me to stay at your house?"

Ash was thoroughly surprised, she was asking to sleep in his house. A girl sleeping in his house would be awkward, let alone a girl he loved. He was having a battle inside his mind, to refuse it because it would be very awkward to say the very least or to accept it because she needs help. A nudge and words of encouragement from Gary helped Ash in making his decision.

"It's fine by me. You want me to help you pack up?"

"Sure!" This time May's voice was loud as she was in an ecstatic mood. Ash's acceptance had helped her overcome her initial anxiety. She has made her mind to confess to him when there were nobody else around them and this might be the chance.

Ash decided to call his father. There was a chance he might refuse, but that would mean that May would be suffering and that wasn't an option. He dialed his father's number and waited until the call was answered.

"Hello, son. What's up?"

"Dad…" Ash paused. "May's parents were away for the weekend so she had no place to sleep. Is it okay that she would be living at our house until they're back?"

"Hmm…"

"Please, dad! Where should she sleep if you refuse?"

Giovanni was thinking, maybe they could both share each other's feelings and cease being mere friends. It was time, keeping their feelings locked inside their hearts was slowly hurting them. "Sure son! Why would I refuse your girlfriend's needs?"

"DAD!" Ash yelled before abruptly ending the call. Facing his friends, he huffed. _Same old, same old Dad._

Soon the bell rang, it was time for class. Ash & May went their separate ways as they had different classes, but not before they agreed on a place to rendezvous after school.

At the next class despite being in the class, May's mind was not with the class. Instead her mind was with Ash, thinking about how she's going to spend the entire weekend with him and how to confess to him. She was very deep in thoughts that she can't hear the teacher calling her. She was snapped out of her train thoughts when she heard a loud voice.

"Ms. Maple!"

"Y-yes?"

"You're spacing out. Make sure that it won't happen again."

"OK, Mr. Lance."

As Lance turned his back to the class and faced the whiteboard to continue writing, he slightly giggled and muttered, "Ah, those two lovebirds."

Meanwhile, Ash also had trouble in concentrating, although for a slightly different reason than May. His head was shaking from the left to the right and left again in a cycle while facing his desk, his teeth were gritting hard, both his fists were clenched tightly, sighs were often released from his mouth, and his breathing patterns were quick and irregular. It was obvious that something or someone was disturbing him and his teacher decided to do something about it. She slowly approached his table and tapped his shoulder gently.

"Ash, what is troubling you?" She asked in the gentle voice that she has always been well known for.

"N-nothing, Ms. Erika"

"It's about May, isn't it?"

"How? How did you know?"

"What kind of teacher doesn't know their own students? Anyway I'd be glad to help you after class is over but please, calm down."

"Alright, Ms. Erika. I'll try."

The signs of distress were still evident on Ash, but to a lesser extent than previously, after the talk he had with Erika. It was enough for him to pay attention to the lesson. This class was the last class of the day so when it ended everyone but Ash & Erika left the classroom. Ash stayed at his seat while Erika took a chair from another desk and placing it next to Ash's desk before sitting on it.

"Ash, what is the problem with her? Did she hurt you?"

"No no no!"

"So why are you in distress?"

"Well, her parents were away for the weekend so she had nowhere to sleep. Dawn will be away for the weekend too so I'm the last hope she has. I don't know what to do, a girl had never slept in my house before."

Erika gave Ash a comforting smile. "I see. Don't worry, just calm down and act natural. If you're like this, you will hurt her because she will think you were forced and that she's troubling you. You wouldn't want that to happen, would you?"

"Of course not."

"Ash, you could also use this chance to tell her how you feel."

"F-feel? What do you mean?"

"I know all about it Ash. You're in love with her."

Ash was petrified. He was surprised at how much Erika knew about him. He had always thought that only his parents knew him that well, it seems that he was wrong. Was he that easy to read?

"But, what if she only think of me as a friend?"

"You have been friends with her for 10 years. A strong bond is needed for friendships to last that long. I'm sure that such a bond won't be broken by something like this. Even if she doesn't love you, it's obvious that she at least likes you so she wouldn't want the friendship to end either."

"I'm not so sure about that."

"Ash, think about it. If you tell her, you'll know how she feels about you and the problem will be no more."

Ash checked his watch and realised that he was late. "Sorry Ms. Erika, but I have to go now. She's waiting for about 15 minutes now."

"No problem. See you next Monday and good luck!"

"Thank you for everything, Ms. Erika!"

Ash pushed his chair to the desk and left the classroom in a much better state, credit should be given to Erika for the talk with him which gave him confidence. Erika was still in the classroom, as she was cleaning it. As she was wiping the whiteboard, she was thinking about Ash & May. _Don't worry about her, Ash. I've seen the look she gave you. She's absolutely love-struck. May you have an everlasting relationship._

Ash left the school building and visited a park not very far from the school. He saw May sitting patiently on the bench while enjoying the lush scenery. She wasn't aware of his presence as her back was facing him. He slowly approached her and softly touched her shoulders. Her body jerked from the sudden touch and she turned her head, wanting to know the source of the touch and saw him.

"Where have you been, Ash?" The tone used by her indicated that she was curious, rather than annoyed or angry, which was not what Ash had expected.

"Err... I need some help with the botany homework so Ms. Erika helped me."

"Okay then, let's go." Ash offered May his hand and she gladly accepted it as he helped her to stand up. They then left the park and went to her house. As they walked, Ash called Giovanni and asked him to pick them up at her house. Giovanni said that he will be in front of her house in about 2 hours.

May retrieved a key from her pocket and unlocked the front door with it. Ash put his bag on the couch, which was located on the living room and went upstairs to her room with her.

Despite Ash visiting May's house on a rather frequent basis, he had never been upstairs, let alone her room. He was usually in the living room when he visited her house. As she opened the door, he had his first view of her room, and he was entranced by it.

If one colour was chosen to describe May's room, it would be pink. The walls, the bed, the drawers, the curtains, the lightings, the desk, the decorations, they were all coloured pink though the assorted varieties of the shades might cause some to be mistaken as either white or red. Although pink was the dominant colour, the numerous amounts of colours in her room made her room very lively. Her bed, drawer and desk were decorated with plush toys. The walls were decorated with nature-themed accessories such as Beautiflies and flowers. The entire room was covered by a bright pink rug. It was average in size, but the tidiness and organisation of the room gave it an illusion of spaciousness. The desk was next to the window, perfect for gazing while doing homework. The mural on the wall depicted a scene, which seemed like a scene from a fairytale. The drawers and chairs weren't the usual shape, instead they were heart-shaped.

Ash had never seen someone who would put such amount of detail into his or her bedroom. The aesthetics of the room were pleasing and he noted that the room suited her perfectly. May was blushing from embarrassment when she saw how Ash was looking at her room. She thought that her room was too feminine and childish. After all, what 14-year-old would still like to cuddle a stuffed toy and enjoy fairy tales. To her huge astonishment, his opinions bear no similarities to her suspicions.

"It's very cute and beautiful! Speaking of rooms, I've heard that their design mirror their designers." Ash has not realised the implications of his words, but May did, and her blush had intensified.

"T-thank you, Ash" May muttered silently as she pulled her drawers and checked her clothes before choosing which to bring. Ash asked her where the suitcase was and took it after she informed him the location. He placed it on the bed and opened it. He waited patiently for her to choose her clothes while sitting on one of the chairs. After choosing the clothes that she will bring to his house, they both arranged them such that the space in the suitcase was used efficiently. Then May began to pack her other items such as books and one of her stuffed animals. He closed the suitcase and brought it to the living room while she packed her items into her backpack and zipped it. When they were done, he closed the suitcase and brought it to the living room. He checked his watch, only to find out that there was still half an hour before his father will arrive.

"So May, my dad will be here in half an hour. What do you want to do in the meantime?"

"I'm tired so I guess I'll just sit on the couch doing nothing."

Both May and Ash sat on the couch while making absolutely no noise. Despite the lack of movement or noise, none of them were bored. In fact, they were embracing the moment. The silence allowed them to cool down from the busy school day and think about how they were going to spend the entire weekend with each other. The silence was only occasionally interrupted by the breeze from the air conditioner.

Soon, the sound of a car was getting louder and louder until it stopped abruptly. Ash recognised the familiar sound of the engine and looked past the window to confirm it. He saw his father's car at the window with the driver waving at him. He tapped May's shoulders and pointed at the window. After seeing Giovanni's car, she took her backpack while he took her suitcase and headed for the car. When the suitcase was inside the car, she opened the door and sat in the middle row as she handed Ash her key so that he can lock the door. When the door was locked, he also sat on the middle row. Giovanni asked whether they left anything behind and he hit the gas pedal after both teenagers shook their head.

"Evening, May!"

"Good evening, Mr. Ketchum."

"Heh, just call me Mr. Giovanni, we aren't strangers."

"O-okay, Mr. Giovanni."

Ash & May were both exhausted so they were sound asleep mere minutes after the car left her house. Giovanni saw them, but through a mirror, as turning the head around while driving was dangerous. Both heads were tilted, with May's head on Ash's shoulder, and his head touching her head. Giovanni laughed quietly after seeing their sleeping positions. _Geez, they're acting like a couple already. When are they going to tell each other?_

Arriving at Ash's house, Giovanni stopped his car only slightly behind the gate. He parked the car in front of the house as he disliked garages. The two lovebirds were still asleep so Giovanni gave each a light pat on the shoulder to wake them up.

"Huh! Where are we?" May exclaimed while rubbing her eyes to wipe dirt off it.

"Dad? Are we home? Wait..." Ash checked his surroundings and saw several houses neatly arranged across a street. "... We are."

Ash unloaded the suitcase from the car and he brought it, along with his backpack, inside the house while May only need to bring her backpack. Giovanni rang the doorbell and it was opened by a smiling Delia.

"Hello you three, come on in!" She said in her cheerful voice as she waved her hand, gesturing the three to enter the house.

Inside the house, Ash, Giovanni, and May took their shoes off and Giovanni headed towards the kitchen while Ash and May sat on the couch. Ash turned on the television and asked May what she would like to watch. He then browsed the channels until he found what she wanted. They watched the programme until it ended, which was an hour later. They were done with watching and right after Ash switched the television off, a yell could be heard from the kitchen.

"Ash! May! Dinner's ready! Can you help bring the food to the dining table!"

"Sure mum! May, you can just go to the dining room. Sit anywhere you want." Ash walked to the kitchen and May disregarded Ash's words. Instead of going to the dining room, she followed him to the kitchen. Ash saw several plates on the counter and he took one of them randomly. As he turned his back to walk to the dining room, he saw her.

"Mrs. Ketchum, may I help you?"

"We certainly didn't expect any help, but we deeply appreciate it. Thank you, May, that was so sweet of you."

May took another plate and she walked with Ash to the dining room and placed the plates in the middle. They went back to the kitchen and brought some more plates to the dining room. This cycle was repeated over and over again until all the food was brought to the dining room. May then went to the cabinet and retrieved the eating utensils while Ash filled the cups with cold water and brought them to the table with May carefully arranging the utensils. Ash noticed that Giovanni was still in his bedroom so he gave the door a knock.

"Dad, dinner's ready!"

"Wait a minute, son. Just go now, I'll be there soon."

Ash went back to the dining room and saw May was sitting in front of Delia. When the family of three had dinner together, Giovanni always sat next to Delia. Knowing this he chose the seat which was next to May. Several minutes later, Giovanni emerged from his room and the four were ready for dinner.

Ash was the first to take his helping, then it was Giovanni's turn. After he was done, it was Delia's turn. She noticed that May was nervous and hadn't taken her food. She was concerned with May and said to her, "May, don't hesitate. Just help yourself. I cooked enough to feed 6 people." May was still nervous, even after Delia told her that it's fine, as she slowly put some food on her plate.

Ash was eating in his well-known pace, which was close to devouring. Giovanni was eating in a normal pace while Delia was eating slowly, while savouring the taste. May was eating very slowly, she had only eaten several spoonful by the time Ash's plate was nearly empty.

He turned to her and asked, "Why aren't you eating? Mum said it's fine."

"That's right, May. This is your home for the weekend. Eat as much as you want."

"O-o-okay." She started eating but slowly. Ash noticed that she wasn't eating as fast as usual and encouraged her to eat faster. In 10 minutes, her plate was empty and she exclaimed, "Thank you, Ms. Delia. That was delicious!" She exclaimed as the food was delectable, she had forgotten that Delia was famous for her cooking in her neighbourhood.

"You're welcome, sweetie."

May realised that she hadn't been informed as to where she was going to sleep. She considered asking Delia, but was afraid that it would be impolite.

By a strange coincidence, as if he could read her mind, Ash answered her. "You must be wondering where to sleep right?" He flashed her his trademarked warm smile. "Don't worry about that. Come with me." Ash went to the living room, carried both their backpacks and her suitcase, then went upstairs with May behind him. They walked past a hallway and stopped at a brown door. When he opened the door, the view shocked her.

The room was painted plain green and there were no murals. The drawers were made of wood and rectangular in shape and the curtain was green, the same shade of green as the wall. Decorations were almost absent from the room, one of the few decorations in the room was a wooden carving of a Teddiursa. The brown desk was rather messy, with papers and books scattered on it.

"B-but Ash, this is your room!"

"Well yes." Ash rubbed his head. "You see, we're not a Hoenn native so our families are back in Kanto. Therefore, we don't need a guest-room. When Gary had a sleepover here, this is where he slept."

"So where am I going to sleep?"

"Where else?" Ash retorted while pointing to a spot. "The bed."

"Then, where are you going to sleep?"

"Umm... I don't know much about girls but I know that they liked privacy so I guess I'll just sleep in the living room. There's a couch there so it won't be a problem."

May couldn't believe what came out from his mouth. He was willing to sacrifice his comfort for a guest. She had known that he would do this but there was no way she would be enjoying the comfort and warmth of a bed while he was freezing downstairs. Ash was ready to leave his room, to give her some time to adapt to his room. As he was about to touch the door handle, he was stopped by her voice.

"I don't know Ash, I'm scared of being alone. Maybe... maybe... maybe you can stay here. It's okay, I don't mind."

It was incomprehensible for Ash. It was awkward enough for a girl to sleep in the same house as him, but in the same room? Furthermore, it was a girl that he loved, not a mere friend or classmate. Still, she asked him and he couldn't refuse her.

"O-okay, I'll just get a blanket and pillow from the storage room. I'll sleep on the floor, is that enough?" May wanted to share the bed with Ash, but she sensed that she caused enough trouble and she shouldn't push her luck so she gave him a nod. "You want to get a bath? I know you're sweaty."

"But I'm a guest!"

"It's a host's duty to prioritise their guests. Besides, like mum said, you're one of us for the weekend so feel free. And you know what they say, ladies first."

May wanted Ash to take a bath first, but he had insisted that she was the first. She opened her suitcase and searched for her nightwear before entering the bathroom. While she was taking a bath, Ash cleaned his desk. He was used to the mess, but he was sure May wouldn't appreciate it. 15 minutes later, he was finished with the cleaning. There were no signs of any mess, the papers were neatly piled and the books were well organised. She was still inside the book so he figured that he could use the time to go to the storage room and get his pillows and blankets. He went inside his room several minutes after with the necessary items. His bedroom was still empty and he spent the time staring blankly at the wall. She finally came out of the bath and she looked nothing like he had ever seen her before.

She was wearing a pink negligee that was slightly hovering above her knees, the colour was an excellent reflection of her cheerful character. He could tell that she wasn't wearing anything underneath her dress, as her curves were clearly visible from the dress. He noticed that she was well-developed for her age and saw her in an inappropriate way. He cursed both his hormones and Gary for his actions, teenage hormones were always a curse and Gary's less honourable traits must've been picked up by him. He made a note to give Gary a scolding for what he had done.

"May, you look... beautiful!"

May's skin were usually white but now it was as red as a tomato. Fortunately for her, Ash hadn't turned on the light yet so he can't see her face clearly. "T-t-that was nice of you. Thank you." Her voice was very faint it was barely a whisper. She was shaking as she walked to his bed, she was stunned by his compliment.

"I guess it's my turn now. May, if you need anything, just take it. No need to ask me."

Ash walked to his drawer and pulled a boxer before entering the bathroom. May heard the sound of dropping water when she searched for the light switch to turn it on. She took a book from her backpack and went under the blanket as she opened the book.

The book was a romantic novel, her favourite type of book. As she flicked through the pages, she began to fantasize about a scenario with her and Ash.

It was at a park, they were both on a picnic mat, listening to the chirping of the Pidgeys and Tailows, with the cool breeze of the air complementing the calm atmosphere. The winds were causing leaves to fall down, creating a scene that wouldn't ever be forgotten. She was lying on his lap, with one of his hands gently brushing her hair, and the other wrapped around her chest. Her eyes were fixed upon the sky, the view of the setting sun was what most could only dream of. His head was close to one of her ears, as he sang a soothing lullaby, with the gentle and tender voice of his sending her into dreamland.

Closing the book, she exhaled deeply. She frowned as she realised such as scene could only exist in fantasies. She, however, wished that she could place her head on his laps, feeling the warmth that echoes his character very well. The voice of an opening door could be heard. The bed was facing against the door, which meant that she couldn't see which door was opened. The first thought that came into her mind was the front door. Maybe either Giovanni or Delia was there to give them a night greeting, though the chance of it being Delia was higher. She got off the bed and checked which door was opened. Her eyes were frozen and her mouth was wide open. That possibility wasn't in her mind at all.

The door that was open was the door to the bathroom. There stood Ash, who was only wearing his boxers. The tanned chest of his was very well defined, a result of years of intensive football training. The steam from the warm shower, which was emitting from his chest, added to its appeal. May's thoughts began to wander into inappropriate zones, something she hadn't ever thought before. The thoughts surprised her greatly, it was as if her mind operated independently of her. She shook her head rapidly as she attempted to rid her mind of the thoughts.

"Ash, why aren't you wearing any shirts?"

"I don't usually wear any tops when I go to sleep, it's a habit." Ash looked at May's face and the look on her face showed that she doesn't seem comfortable. "If it's a problem for you, I'll just wear one. Problem solved."

"No. If it's fine by you then it's fine by me." May suddenly felt an urge to hold tightly on his tight chest and squeeze it like how she squeezed her stuffed animals. She cursed both her hormones and Dawn. When she was not talking about fashion, Dawn was always implanting perverted thoughts on May's head.

"Okay then, there's an hour or two until we go to bed, what should we do?"

They spent the next 3 hours talking about the various events in their lives. It was occasionally interluded with a joke by Ash which triggered a chuckle by May. They were very deep in their conversation, they didn't notice the flow of time. As they were talking, he happened to see the clock and it was almost midnight.

"May, it's already late. Time to go to bed."

"You're right, I'm getting sleepy." May responded as she opened her palm, put it in front of her mouth before wrapping her mouth with it and yawned.

May hopped on the bed and snuggled under the blanket before shifting her body sideways such that she was facing the wall. Ash slept on the floor, his 'bed' was simply a pillow and a blanket. She had tried to sleep for the past hour but she can't, she was very concerned for Ash. His bed was very warm and soft, it doesn't feel that different from her own bed, though she had nothing to cuddle. She felt guilty as she enjoyed the luxury of a proper bed while he was lying on the hard and cold floor. Furthermore, he was bare-chested, which made his condition worse. His teeth were shaking, as well as his whole body. His body curled into a fetal position in an attempt to warm itself, but it wasn't enough. He was freezing and she couldn't let him be sick just for her sake.

"Ash!"

"Huh. Are you h-having trouble sleeping? Is it too c-cold?"

"No, but it is to you. Come here. You sleep on your bed."

"But... but... where are you going to sleep?"

"On your bed, with you. You're freezing, you'll need extra warmth."

"B-b-b-but but but!"

"Ash, you'll be sick!"

"Okay t-then."

Ash tried to get up and walk to his own bed but the cold had affected him such that the usually easy task had become daunting. Seeing this, May walked to Ash before grabbing both his hands gently. May was confused, he was freezing but his hands were as warm as usual. She shrugged it off, however, and used all the power she had to make him stand on two feet. She then wrapped her arms on his neck, this was a tricky task for her as he was visibly taller then her, but she was willing to do this much for him after what he did for her. Slowly, but surely, they walked to his bed. May was the first to get on the bed, followed by Ash. It was a little tight as the bed was designed for a single person, but it didn't matter, their body had to be in contact so that he can cease to freeze.

"Ash, cuddle me."

"What?"

"You're freezing. You'll get sick, we need to warm you immediately. My body would be perfect for it."

"Are you fine with it?"

"Of course I am! If I'm not I would've not asked you."

"If you're fine with it, then..." Nervously, he put his arms around her chest and subconsciously squeezed it lightly, but enough for her to feel it. The sudden squeeze shocked her slightly but she did nothing about it as Ash needs the warmth and she liked the feeling of Ash's strong arms around her. Their bodies were facing each other and May couldn't hold it back, she was slightly cold, and she used it as an excuse to cuddle him back. Although she has often wrapped her arms around his chest, such as when she gave him a nice, hard, hug, this was the first time her arms had been around his naked chest. It was very firm, and she blushed as she saw that they were both cuddling each other. She prayed once again to Arceus that she will have the courage to tell him and for him to reciprocate her feelings so they can be in this position every night.

The warmth they shared caused Ash to stop shivering. His breathing returned into its regular rhythm and as he was relaxed, his eyes were soon closed. Light snores were heard afterwards. Before sleeping, May took one last look at his face. It was, in her opinion, cute. The messy, spiky jet black hair that couldn't be fixed with even the best hair products money could buy was simply adorable. The zigzag marks on both his cheeks were a signature of him, she absolutely loved it. The beautifully shaped lips of his were hypnotic to her. She couldn't resist imagining it smiling widely, as it often was when he was awake. Oh, how she fancied that she could place her hands on his face and rub it affectionately. Yawning, she closed her eyes with his lips on her forehead.

* * *

**(A/N): **It isn't really a confession but it was close enough. Don't worry I plan to have the real conversation on day 2 since day 3 will be about their first date. The time skip between this chapter and the next is only about a few hours. It wasn't stated in the story but it ended at about 1 or 2 am. The next chapter will start at 5-7 am.


End file.
